Ajmal Amir Kasab & Faisal Shahzad
A day before Pakistani citizen Ajmal Amir Kasab was sentenced to death by the Indian courts another terrorist with Pakistani connections, Faisal Shahzad, was arrested by the American government for trying to set off a bomb in Times Square New York. Pakistan has quickly distanced itself from both these individuals. So far Pakistan has not provided money or any other material support to assist the Kasab defense team (lead by court appointed defense lawyers).
Responding to the Times Square attack Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi informed Indian television channel CNN-IBN that “Mr. Shahzad is not a Pakistani citizen any more; he is an American citizen – a naturalized American citizen”. This is a lame excuse considering that Shahzad became an American citizen only in September of last year. After becoming an American citizen Faisal Shahzad moved his entire family back to Pakistan!
Both these cases show the culture of denial that exists in Pakistan when it comes to terrorists who are using their territory to launch attacks on other nations. I believe that majority of Pakistanis are peace loving people and they want the very same things in life that the rest of the world wants including Indian. There is a great deal in common between the day to day struggles of an average Pakistani citizen and an Indian citizen.
But like all other nations Pakistan should be held accountable for what is going on within Pakistan whether the terrorist movement has the popular support of its citizens or not. Ajmal Kasab is from Faridkot, Punjab (a province of Pakistan). He was given training at a camp in Muridke (Pakistan) by LeT Chief Hafeez Sayeed.
During the entire operation in Mumbai, which resulted in the death of 166 human beings, he and the rest of the terrorist group were in constant contact with their handlers in Pakistan (most of these phone conversations were recorded by Intelligence agencies). Even after 16 months Pakistan is yet to prosecute a single person in connection with the attack.
It was clear during the Kasab trail that his poverty and his rural upbringing were exploited by those who recruited him. He was not a believer but he clearly did it for the money. Now compare Kasab with Faisal Shahzad. Faisal is the son of Baharul Haq who is a retired Pakistan Air Force air vice marshal. He has a computer science degree and an MBA from an American university. He and his wife and kids had an opportunity that most people in the Indian subcontinent can only dream of.
But he chose to give it all up. He tried and fortunately failed to set off a bomb in New York City and kill other innocent human beings. Unlike Ajmal Kasab, Faisal Shahzad was not motivated by money but by belief (his deteriorating financial condition including the foreclosure of his home might have speeded up his radicalization process).
Pakistan cannot continue to exist in this state of denial anymore. Some of its citizens from all walks of life are indulging in activities that are resulting in the loss of life of many innocent civilians outside of Pakistan. Only Pakistan can find a solution to this problem. The time for excuses are over.
Related posts:
- Death Sentence for Kasab is Easy Way Out
- India and Pakistan: War is not the Answer
- India Governed By Rule of Law
- India Should Stop Complaining About American Aid To Pakistan
- Is India or America Better At Tackling Terrorism?
Category: News & Government
denial is the only thing left, they have been pushed into the corner but can’t afford to fall in the eyes of their citizens…I bet they too believe in the innocence of Pakistan.
One of my cousin’s is married to a Paki and on his visit here, he talked very little of Pak and more about the religious and caste induced problems in India.
I have met many individuals from Pakistan in graduate school. For the most part they are like any other Indians. But many of them are 1) very India focused and 2) not very critical of their country, religion or society. The society there does not handle dissent very well.