Ali Malik's blog

I never wanted to write this post. I wish things had never came to the point which merits pondering of such thoughts. But alas they have and so this should be penned. Let us analyze where things are heading. First and foremost, it seems someone is trying to drag India into a war. I say India, whosoever is behind Mumbai attacks and post-Mumbai attacks developments, is aiming to provoke India to be aggressive and consider military option. The provocation caused by Mumbai carnage, followed by media madness (equally followed by the same madness in Pakistan) and hysteria created by defense analysts and extremist elements in India, seems more and more like playing in the hands of provokers. If aim of Mumbai attacks was to provoke India, terrorists (or whosoever it was) is succeeding. And India must learn from lessons of provoked invasions of last 6 years (Lebanon and Iraq) where someone provoked the war which ended up strengthening the Islamic extremists in both places. Unlike the popul...

Someone some where wants the world to head to a major war being triggered in South Asia? Who is it? I am not too sure. One thing I can say for sure is that Indian Establishment is not comfortable with a democratic Pakistan. They have had great time under dictatorships of Zia and Musharraf. And then they have a horrible memory of isolation and cornering (though most of it had to do with India's problems within) under a stable democratic Pakistan of 1970s. Secondly, there are elements in defense establishment of both India and Pakistan who want tensions to escalate for the interest of Military Industrial Complex (Please refer to US President Eisenhower's farewell speech on youtube). There most potent tool is their infiltration in the corresponding medias. Coverage of both Pakistan and Indian media post Mumbai attacks has been the main instigator of hatred and escalation of tension. Societies in generals, at least the main stream, have been cautious vis-a-vis being jingoist but...

“There’s a little bit of India in every Pakistani and a little bit of Pakistan in every Indian." A quote by Benazir Bhutto referred by President Zardari during his address to Hindustan Times conference, only a couple of days before the Mumbai terrorist attacks. My challenge here will be not to be influenced by the Pakistani or the Indian in me while I analyze the recent developments and our options going forward. I know what I am going to say here will not go well with a lot of my friends (on both sides). But I believe in the wake of present circumstances, it is time for some tough and honest talk. First and foremost, if at all these attacks have any proven Pakistani connection; it is in the best interest of Pakistani to persecute the elements responsible for it. More so, because the past tells us that these elements have proven more dangerous for Pakistan than for anyone else. Also, if these attacks have any Pakistani connection, it is in best interest of all the parties to h...