Pakistan Is A Terror Factory

By Manuwant Choudhary

The full-scale fighting in Swat and the resultant human displacement only prove the fact that Pakistan had over the years become a terror factory...brainwashing, training and arming terrorists to threaten the world.

Yesterday's attack in Lahore, very close to the ISI building, shows the Taliban can attack anyone, anywhere, even their former masters.

I was reading a BBC article published in 2000 on `Who Are The Taliban'? The report says the world came to know of the Taliban only in 1994 when Pakistan used them to provide cover to a convoy which was meant to open up a trade-route to central asia.

These Taliban men, mainly of Pashtun origin, had been trained in religious schools in Pakistan, and proved to be effective `bodyguards' against attacks on the convoy by other mujahideens.

The same religious training centres were used by Pakistn to train other mujahideens to fight in Kashmir and elsewhere.

But the Taliban had their own plans and they soon fought other war lords to gain control over 90 per cent of Afghan territory, except a small part in the north which was controlled by Ahmed Shah Masood, a tajek leader.

Soon Kabul came under the Taliban and they even wanted international recognition but the UN seat still remained with former President Burhanuddin Rabbani.

And when the US embassies were bombed in Kenya and the UN asked the Taliban to hand over Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban refused saying Osama Bin Laden was their `guest'.

Even during General Musharraf's rule the world saw what happend at Lal Masjid.

Pakistan's war within is going to be its toughest and success will come if they decide to shut their terror factories and remove corruption from their political lives thereby win the hearts and minds of ordinary Pakistanis.

Pakistan must shun `My criminals versus your criminals' mindset, if democracy is ever to become meaningful and order restored.

But with the billions in US dollars being poured into Pakistan by the United States and with President Zardari at the helm, things do not look positive - at least for now.