How foolish of a person, who destroys his own home to protect home of others. The classic example of it is us, who in order to save the American interests destroyed our own country and citizens that left us disgraced and now as paupers and beggars always on the prowl for foriegn handouts .
Swat, was once home to domestic tourism, the highest revenue earning industry that we foolishly sacrificed at the altar of the so – called war on terror, where petty mullahs turned into monsters inflicting trillion worth of loss to the already cash starved economy of the country pushing it down the economic suicidal course.
Besides , it costed Pakistan loss of precious lives both of the her Citizens and its beloved security forces, who were sent to fight this war on terror, once the fire of radicalisation allowed as the state helplessly looked the other way till it engulfed the entire region in a strange hybrid war fought in the name of Islam, but still no mosque or funeral prayer spared by these so – called Islamic warriors that all the more confused the ordinary citizens on the streets .
As a legacy of this foolish war, there still exists a foolish security practice after 15 long years of the operation having ended in 2009 , where all tourists as well as residents are required to submit their National Identity Cards both on entry and exit to a makeshift piquet established in the cargo containers, at the exact gateway of Malakand Division, at the entry of Swat Motorway that houses Dir, Bajauar, Chitral, Swat, Shungla and Buner.
The funniest part being that this rule is not applicable to private vehicles that makes the entire exercise not only flawed, unwarranted rather biased towards the underprivileged and tourists especially who prefer taking the public transport than using their own vehicles . Besides, it creates unnecessary sense of insecurity and fear in them to be watched as suspects, if not confused for being terrorists to be visiting terrorism- stricken areas .
Moreover, I wonder if the architect of this unwise security exercise realised at the time of it being devised ; the unnecessary insecurity that this very security mechanism would create in the minds of those visiting these areas post – operation that not only proved counter- productive with time rather a flash point to ignite anti – security forces sentiments amongst common citizens that unfortunately rises higher due to the their prolonged exposure in the civilian areas .
These tactical flaws in the operational plan unfortunately gave space and immense popularity to nationalist leaders and public support to them especially young Manzoor Pashteen, once he publicly protested the numerous check posts every few kilometers that dotted the entire valley of Swat post- operation. Surprisingly, at a time when hardly there existed any insurgents and it was the common citizens, who went through these frequent security nuisance. Had they been abolished without public pressure and protests would have made the entire internal security plan more people friendly.
I humbly and sincerely advise the Security Establishment in their own best interest of their own public image than interest of the security of the general public, which now is of least importance and interest to the common citizens of Pakistan, who feel unsecured through such unwise security measures , who are required to prove their own identity, as citizens of their own country on their own soil , a practice that is nowhere else seen in the rest of the entire World . Long Live Pakistan, Where Her Citizens Never Matter To Her Masters 🇵🇰