The legitimacy factor!

The unpopularity of the ongoing war can be well gauged by the growing adverse public sentiment that is being variously demonstrated throughout the country. The roads and streets of Swat, or whatever remains of them, are a living testimony of the widespread anger against the army and the government. Has the ruling elite, intoxicated by the elixir of being in the saddle, even lost their ability to read simple words? Yet, they pontificate to own the War On Terror as 'our war'? Is this to path to winning legitimacy? Legitimacy from the foreign masters, but not from the people of Pakistan!

We have gone wrong in the past. We are going wrong now. The 'think' factor is missing from all the incongruous shenanigans that we seem to be engaged in, all at one time. Quite obviously, this whole exercise is only a front to the fulfilment of an agenda that was signed in return for the opportunity to rule the country. The chips are down. The battle is raging and the country is on the verge of being engulfed in the fires of anarchy. No one seems to be concerned. The national woes are being drowned in the showering of profuse compliments on Ms Palin who is found to be 'gorgeous' by our president: "Now I know why the whole of America is crazy about you". Instead of issuing proclamations to 'hug' her, Mr Zardari should instead hug the suffering multitudes and do something about their problems, which are multiplying by the minute.

It is time to evolve a concrete strategy for pulling the country out of the deepening quagmire that it is stuck in. It would not happen by owning the War On Terror as 'our war'. It would not happen by indiscriminately bombing innocent people. It would not happen by pursuing policies that are at a tangent to the will and aspirations of the people. This approach is a classic recipe for further disaster that we can ill afford at this critical juncture in our history.

An ingenious and pragmatic approach is needed to combat the multifaceted challenges that the country is confronted with. Instead of fighting an alien war that has already plunged the country into chaos, the need is to galvanise the people to join the battle to save Pakistan. Instead of winning the patronage of the US, it is time to take the fledgling steps on the road to regaining self-respect and winning the hearts and minds of the people of Pakistan.

The writer is a media and political consultant based in Islamabad

E-mail: raoofhasan@hotmail.com