The Taliban (specifically the Tehrik Nifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi) have a spokesman, curiously named Muslim Khan. Now as a spokesman, he is supposed to make… well… statements. It does not matter if next statement has no continuity, consistency, coherence with the last. Apparently years of enforcing religious fundamentalist laws, with a gun in one hand and a RPG launcher in the other, dulls your ability to see the difference or care about it.

Consider this… [Read more →]

Delivering a retort to Pakistan President Zardari’s expression of helplessness about the “non-state actors” in Pakistan indulging in terrorism, Indian foreign minister Pranab Mukherji sarcastically said,

“Question is not of the non-state actors. Are they coming from heaven or they are coming from a different planet? They are located in the territory of a particular country. We are suggesting to Pakistan please act. Mere expression of intention is not adequate,”

Aah Mr. Mukherji… these “non-state actor” buggers don’t come from the heavens, man! They are “non-state actors” hoping to go there!

After Pakistan president Zardari has gone to town with the phrase “non-state actors”, now even Condoleeza Rice has started using that phrase. How newly coined phrases travel in diplomatic circles! But I strongly feel that “non-state actors” is phraseology aimed at deflecting the specter of sanctions that would inevitably follow if state of Pakistan is proven as a supporter of terrorism and thereby branded as a terrorist state.

The last time Indians asked for a decisive action by the government on the issue of terrorism, it was arguably in the aftermath of the 7/11 Mumbai blasts. Then, after snapping ties with Pakistan, India resumed them within 20 days without any action taken by Pakistan. Before that, after the Parliament attack, the government launched Operation Parakram only to “contain the national mood of ‘teach Pakistan a lesson’“. Can we hope that this time will be any different?