In an Op-Ed by Asif Ali Zardari published in Gulf News on Wednesday, the president of Pakistan argued Osama Bin Laden's execution proves his country has never been and never will be the hotbed of fanaticism and that it has lost more soldiers to terrorism than Nato. The assassination of Bin Laden by US special forces was carried out without the knowledge of the Pakistani government. It has thrown up significant questions; chief among them is how committed Pakistan is in the fight against terror.
The killing and its aftermath has offered analysis and counter analysis, but in the final examination the common denominator points to the fact that the Pakistani government, military and intelligence have a lot of explaining to do, namely, how Bin Laden was able to hide in a compound in a hill town near Pakistan's capital, without them having any knowledge about it.
Pakistan has a moral obligation to absolve itself, not only in front of the international community but mainly to its people who are wary of the constant, unnecessary and unfair scrutiny they are subjected to by the rest of the world.
Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, emphasised yesterday that it is not always an easy relationship her country shares with Pakistan. In this regard, it is not unrealistic to assume that the US and its allies may decide to forge ahead alone in the battle against Al Qaida and the Taliban, thus repeatedly compromising Pakistan's sovereignty.
More importantly, a breakdown could also affect the multi-billion dollar aid packages earmarked to buttress the government and address sectors like the economy, education, health and energy projects. The Pakistani people are asking for a better deal, in the face of constant internal threat by extremists. Hence, the government must act responsibly, at home and abroad, by justifying, with maximum clarity, their actions and policies.
