Edward Said does not belong to the jihadists and their declared supporters - like you [Mohammad Shahid Alam]. He and Eqbal loathed their primitivism and utter ruthlessness, as well as their desecration of Islam.

I do remember saying Friday prayers in this mosque in 1972-73 when my father was a colonel in the army and we live just three streets away from this mosque. But that was a different time. Perhaps less modern but more peaceful certainly.

No corner,no street,no abode Stands safe from these merciless fiends

If the American and NATO forces do not undertake the requisite action along the Durand Line, then the impact of the achievements being attained by the Pakistan Army may be short-lived.

Amid all this mayhem and unstoppable tragic loss of valuable lives, have we for a moment stopped and asked ourselves: “can we fight ideas with guns only?”

The operation in Waziristan is a very temporary solution, and its only aim should be to halt immediate attacks, but ultimately the peace has to be negotiated, whether we like to talk to Talibans or not.

Pakistan and Waziristan were not always like this. How we have come to this pass is crucial to analyse, but even more urgent is to assess that are we prepared enough to win this battle?

If military operation could pacify any country there would have been no Vietnam or Afghanistan or even 50 plus expeditions into Waziristan since 1890s till to date.

The enemy is not in Waziristan or Afghanistan. The enemy is our own damn inefficiency and complacency. It merits serious thinking at all plains , tactical,operational and strategic.

Nothing in history is inevitable. If Pakistan is to be preserved the Punjabis and Pashtuns have to be friends. Its time that mistakes of the criminally opportunistic Musharraf are not repeated.