Rafia Zakaria: Swat, Somalia and Sharia

Speaking of the former rickshaw and truck drivers reincarnation as PakTalibans Rafia Zakaria writes in today's News:

The hijacking and effective recasting of sharia as a populist tool meant to convert the poor into accepting violence and barbarity as emblematic of Islamic justice is a tragedy. Viewing it as such also reveals how populations who have been plagued by sense of inferiority owing to their illiteracy and poverty present fertile grounds for exploitation by groups such as Al Shabab and the Taliban. Reducing justice to a crude pantomime devoid of equity and education to an expression of un-Islamic elitism, these groups rely on the most decrepit aspects of human nature to assure their own ascendancy.

I have no love for these illiterate rascals passing off as Maulvis/Maulanas...they are an insult to real aalims.

However...

The ground reality she ignores is that after the Wali of Swat was unceremoniously hauled away Swat was left with Political Agents who could not wipe their ass off stones and pebbles (as allowed and sanctioned under a certain body of hadiths...tayammoom....that are NOT attributed to renta-hadith Cat Lover otherwise known as abu Hureira)

That was circa Field Marshall Ayub...

So what happened to delivery of justice since then?

Zilch, nada, nothing.

As witnessed last year when ordinary non-gun carrying folks got pissed off at the absence of rule of law in Karachi and Lahore, who set thieves on fire...the climate was CREATED by the absence of rule of law whereby these uncouth, unkempt, illiterate bearded young men passed of as ShariaKeepers .... we witnessed this in Swat and Fata and other areas where rule of law is away on extended Umrah or Pilgrimage to some distant shores.

Ordinary folks are pissed off and are willing to extend their loyalty to anyone who can restore a semblance of law under any guise.

The nuclear armed Pakistni Army under Kiani has failed to grasp this. They can win over the people if they restore law and order...even if it be Sharia... as it used to be in that region under the deposed Wali.

Instead, they are betting on bullets to win over.

Pakistan loses.

And even if by along shot if Kayani wins, his army would lose a country.