Why a soft corner on the death of Hakimullah Mehsud?

(Abida Rahmani, Peoria)

Sitting thousands of miles away from Pakistan and with the timezone exactly 12 hours behind. I still can not focus to the relevant issues here in the land I am living in. These pouring in e-mails , social media tools, Facebook , twitter and other news keep on dragging me to Pakistan's problems, drastic affairs and twisted politics.

It is more than a week that Tehrik Taliban Pakistan ( defunct) a rebel and terrorist organization of Pakistan's top commander got killed in a US drone attack along with his brothers and aids close to Miran Shah in North Waziristan. There is a lot of controversy going on in The local press, media and social media, whether he is a Shaheed or just got killed. A lot of hot ,harsh words are exchanged between different groups, even the Pakistan Army has to deliver a complaining statement on calling him a shaheed. .Syed Munawar Hassan, Ameer of Jamaat I Islami termed him as a Shaheed and added that Pakistani forces fought with Taliban to please and align with US on his agenda. Therefore they are not Shaheed just got killed. Another stalwart of Islamic Maulana Fazlur Rahman who is generally described as Maulana Diesel in Pakistan , For his alignment with ruling parties and taking lot of benefits and advantages. He went a bit further in his claims ,” if a dog is killed by US , it is Shaheed too.” I don’t know if he is minimizing the status of a Shaheed or elevating the status of a dog.

There were numerous drone strikes before that .This is not the first drone attack that killed a prominent taliban leader. His older brother Baitullah Mehsud and a lot many others high value targets taliban and Al Qaida operatives are killed in drone attacks along with so many innocents. No one ever discussed or cared about those so much ,so what was so special with the death of Hakimullah Mehsud.? The only concern in my opinion is that he was getting ready to talk his point of view to Pakistan’s government , how to end this anarchy, civil war and blood shed. His interview was broadcasted from BBC Urdu service in which he showed his incliment for a dialogue. He quoted Quran’s verse , to lower his arm for peace. I wrote in my last article that all of a sudden this targeted killing of USA was like stabbing Pakistan in the back. Through various news item , It is stated that he was on drone target earlier than that , but they avoided him.America knows its strategies better than us. In other words we can say that his days were numbered. Any way now that he is killed, then according to our faith his matters are with Almighty God, who can decide better about his status in the hereafter and deal with him. Who is the best judge and know who is a criminal and who was righteous in his path. Then why this senseless war of words. When there was a war with India both the sides claimed the list of Shuhadaa. In Hindi news India would count their shaheed and Pakistan theirs. Don’t know what is the concept of Shahdat in Hinduism but we are sure about our Shaheeds.

In Syrian, communal rights or civil war everyone is Shaheed. The Prophet ( may peace be upon him said) that two Muslims who fight each other and if one got killed both are going to hell. because if the other one had the power , he would have done the same . ( And Allah knows the best) We can still consider the innocents as Shaheeds . When I am saddened of the death toll of so many innocents in Muslim world, my brother would comfort me, “ don’t worry they all are in heading to paradise.

Not quite sure about the agenda of Taliban, are the trying to impose Sharia laws? The brutalities and the atrocities they committed, are enormous. They created an army of suicide bombers , who played havoc in Masjids, Funerals, get togethers, meetings , conferences , Imam bargahs , churched ,not only harming the law enforcing authorities. They slaughtered army men, Policemen took their heads away and showed their ruthlessness.At a rough count the killed at least 40000 civilians .If they are fighting USA , they are just across the borders but all their focus is to destabilize Pakistan. They are tools in the hands of anti Pakistan forces, India, Afghanistan, Israel and of course from CIA. Hakimullah Mehsud lived in a big mansion like compound. How these fighters are getting armed with latest equipment and so much money is another story.

As to talk about Jamaat i Islami and of course Mujahideen ( who are now called Taliban) they sided with Pakistan army and USA as Mujahideen during USSR invasion. They were darlings of CIA and America and received every kind of support from them . So many youths got sacrificed for the cause of Jihad. Hizbul Mujahideen of JI fought guerrilla war in Kashmir. JI ‘s‘ al shams and al badar wing fought with Pakistan army in East Pakistan and so many are incarcerated and punished even after 42 years . Some of the are in their late 90s.

With change of situations the tables are turned. USA declared all Mujahideens , terrorists , al Qaida and Taliban. Our fronts at Kashmir has died its own death. A tragic civil war erupted in Pakistan. Instead of saving their borders Pakistan Army is at war in their own own motherland .

The emotions are high and the scars are fresh , therefore what was the need for Munawwar Hassan Sahib to call Hakimullah Mehsud a Shaheed ? In Pakistan every one is Shaheed , Bhutto Shaheed , Zia Ul haq Shaheed, Benazir Bhutto shaheed and there were lot many Shaheeds before them. When I go through the roads of Rawalpindi Cantonment area , every street has the name of a Shaheed , who got killed in the line of duty in their own land. Who is going to count in the heavens who is Shaheed or just died and what difference does it make?

Abida Rahmani
About the Author: Abida Rahmani Read More Articles by Abida Rahmani: 195 Articles with 254240 views I am basically a writer and write on various topics in Urdu and English. I have published two urdu books , zindagi aik safar and a auto biography ,"mu.. View More