The Paradox that is Pakistan
There is a long article in The Sunday Times today by Christina Lamb, that should be read by everyone who worries for the future of that part of Asia. I do,as I was born, when two nations; India and Pakistan, were created out of violence.
She details how the ISI, the Pakistan Security Service has pursued its own policies over the country, the Taliban and Afghanistan. She more or less accuses the ISI of being involved in the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the attacks on Mumbai. One also wonders where the $18billion that the United States has given Pakistan in aid has gone?
After reading Lanb’s article, I feel very much that David Cameron got it about right, when he spoke in India last week!
We also today have the appalling performance of the Pakistan cricket team at Nottingham, where they collapsed badly and were beaten by 354 runs. They had the nucleus of a team, but it self-destructed in Australia and some players endeed up being banned for life. If you can’t organise your national sport, when you have so much history in the game, you are in a bad state.
Added to this is the fact, that I know from some of my friends, that it is still possible to do serious business with Pakistan. So it’s not all bad news!
But what worries me about Pakistan is that if they should support another terrorist attack on India. Would India show the same restraint she did after the Mumbai attacks? I think not this time, as those attacks weren’t the first and they must be losing patience!
Would the various communities from the sub-continent show restraint in the UK? Most probably would, but I doubt that we could keep out of it.
Pakistan must get its act together, reinforce democracy and curb the power of the ISI.
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The Anonymous Widower 
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