Monday, November 25, 2013

On #Drones and #ImranKhan/the #PTI's Blocking #NATOSupplies

I am self-consciously a Pakistani-American and my opposition to the Drones actually has never been either about how many "terrorists" (note the quotes) were killed or about sovereignty because I was *NEVER* convinced that the Pakistani government and establishment (aka "deep state" aka "secuity state/establishment") was not at least acquiescent if not approving.

The problem with drones, IMHO, has always been along the lines of due process and the collateral deaths issue--and what it does to the *PEOPLE* of Pakistan and how they see it.

And I am not a supporter of the PTI--in fact, my position on this issue has been that the PTI has not taken up an organized and sustained--not just a dharna here and a dharna there--movement against them. I don't follow in detail, but what happened to the dharna outside the UN? That should have started years ago and been non-stop.

And having said that, now that the PTI is doing something I say we give them some space. The problem with the PTI has never been ideas or sincerity, it's been implementation and ideology. Let's give them space to see how and what they do and how far they can take it.