The war on terrorism, in which Pakistan is a frontline state, has been quickly heading towards a logical conclusion as the ugly and double game being played by Pakistani officials has been exposed to the people.
The officials have created many Taliban leaders in tribal areas who were given the task to wage a "holy war" against the American forces in Afghanistan. On the pretext of capturing these leaders, Pakistani forces have launched an operation in which thousands of innocent people were killed or maimed.
But suddenly, Pakistan officials have changed their policies. They have stopped operations against the Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders. Pakistani authorities Thursday pardoned a Taliban leader with suspected links to Al-Qaeda after he renounced terrorism and pledged loyalty to the government.
Maulvi Faqir Mohammad agreed not to participate "in any terrorist activity in the country and pledged support to the government in defending the country's borders," local administration chief Shakil Qadir told a news agency.
Here, several questions arise. According to the United States and Pakistan, these Taliban leaders were responsible for the killing of thousands of people. If these leaders are really criminals and involved in killing and destruction, then why have they been pardoned?
According to law, these leaders must be arrested and put on trial if they are criminals. If these leaders are innocent then why they were declared as criminals? This type of deal shows the double stadard of Pakistan and its supporters. At the moment, both Taliban and terroists were given full control of the tribal areas creating fear and terror among tribesmen. Tribesmen want answers to their questions.
Faqir Mohammad, from the northwestern tribal region of Bajaur, succeeded another hardliner who died in a Pakistani military airstrike on a religious school that killed 80 people in October. Security officials said at the time that his dead predecessor, a militant called Maulvi Liaqat, was a close associate of Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Mohammad signed a formal agreement with the 12-member jirga, or delegation of tribal elders, promising that he would cooperate with the government in maintaining stability of the country and defence of its borders, Qadir said.
"All doubts and suspicions about him had been removed" after the jirga met Faqir Mohammad and his supporters in his home village of Damadola in Bajaur on Thursday, Qadir said. "We (the Bajaur administration), jirga and Faqir Mohammad reposed full confidence in each other," he added. "He can now live as a peaceful citizen and move freely," the official said.
The Voice For Peace originated from Bajaur Agency demands a thorough probe into these dubious deals with militants. These types of deals have endangered the lives of millions of tribesmen.
