Pakistanis Need To Look Within

Social media soldiers empowered by PM candidate Modi have taken it upon themselves to call out Pakistani media lies. Hours of YouTube videos posted by these patriotic Indians shows a large cross-section of Pakistani media which seems to be confused, ISI agenda driven or just plain stupid. Watch the video above. The host Salim Bokhari (are all the Bokharis gasbags?) claims that a book (biography of FM Sam Maneckshaw – Soldiering With Dignity) by an Indian Army officer Deepinder Singh says that 1800 Indian soldiers dressed as Pakistani soldiers snuck into East Pakistan, committed unspeakable atrocities for which innocent Pakistani soldiers were blamed. WOW! Since no one in Pakistan will ever read that book or any book ever, such a claim will be accepted as the truth.

Now I have not read this book which was published in 2003. But someone must have read this book which has been around for 12 years and not talked about this. If this were really true do you think that Pakistani establishment would have stayed quiet? Tall claims are a norm in Pakistani media which is so sure of getting away with their lies that they not only make such claims but also get acclaims for “sensible” journalism. If these so called “danishwars or danishmand” are indicative of Pakistani intellectuals, Gods save that country from self-inflicted wounds.

In the aftermath of 9/11 attacks, the scuttlebutt in the Muslim world was that it was a Jewish conspiracy and that all the Jews got a phone call in the morning telling them to stay at home. The 26/11 attacks in Mumbai were also declared a Hindu conspired attack to defame Pakistan. Closer to home, they said that India has joined hands with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and ISIS / Daesh to attack the school in Peshawar. Even the bus attack killing the Ismailis was attributed to RAW with concrete proofs in the hands of the Pakistani authorities until of course when it turned out to be highly educated (as highly as then can get in Pakistan) rich Pakistani boys who carried out that attack.

This is the problem with the Muslim world. One half thinks that they are right. The other half thinks it is not their fault. Now you do not have to be an Algebra wizard to see that this is an unsolvable equation. Unless they take out one or two variables out of this equation, the Muslim world will stay mired in this never-ending cycle of violence. Self-introspection is not easy but that is the only cure. In fact the Pakistanis need to listen to Najam Sethi or Hassan Nisar or Ayaz Amir or Javed Chaudhry or Ahmed Rashid and give these guys a chance and eventually give themselves a chance. It may not be too late.