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The Peace Talks Conundrum

Negotiations with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, famously dubbed as the ‘peace’ talks, have become the center of attention lately in our kamikaze politics. Recently our government has been stressing over which date to set for the ‘talks’ to commence, which is somewhat akin to a family setting a date for a marital ceremony, a family welcoming a bride in to their house with open arms. Days are passing by and the clock is ticking (on a time bomb), and our government still hasn’t made it up its fickle mind. All I and other sane citizens of Pakistan can manage to think through is WHY? Why are even considering this ludicrous option?  What possible resolutions do we think will be the outcome of these talks? On what common grounds will these talks ensue?

Negotiations are undertook on the basis that some compromises have to be made by both parties and it’s quite apparent what compromises a body which shoots down teenage girls wants us to make. Itboggles my mind how easily we can forget and erase all those memories of bloodshed, torture and captivity that plagued our minds before. 

Have we forgotten the ceaseless attacks made on our brothers and sisters, have we forgotten the deeply plunging fear we felt for our loved ones every time they used to step outside their houses? Or are we blind enough to not see the ongoing attacks of these barbarians on our defenseless civilians? Are victims like Fizza Malik just figments of our imaginations, or US propaganda used against these pure harbingers of Islam?

And the plain nonchalance shown by our politicians aggravates my worry even more. Imran Khan, previously a herald of justice and anti-corruption, a person who even titled his political party, ‘Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf’ (emphasis on the ‘Insaaf’) now cries for nothing else but peace talks. He even has the audacity to present apologies and excuses for the attacks on the Taliban’s behalf.  At first he showed a bit of concern for the victims, then there was utter silence from him and now there’s uproar not for the victims but their killers.

I was aware of the desensitization this nation has immersed into over the years but I was not aware of the absence of hate and disgust for these savages.   We are committing to a deal with a devil here. Our soldiers are fighting tirelessly against these animals; their corpses are being mutilated and treated with the least amount of respect. Our aid workers, striving for a polio-free Pakistan are shot down mercilessly. Our schools are burnt down and replaced with bigoted institutions that harvest over-zealous individuals with nothing but blood on their hands.  And all we are capable of doing is ‘talking’ to them over some tea and crumpets!

50,000 lives gone and still the fuel is running short.

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