PESHAWAR, Nov 29: As in cricket, in other things in life, the longer version emerges to be the correct version.
On Friday, a feature issued by a news agency and appearing in national press had a Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan spokesman invoking patriotism to denounce Indian star Sachin Tendulkar in comparison with Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq. That turned out to be spin imparted by some who hastily quoted the TTP spokesman out of context to perpetuate the stereotype.
Fingers were raised, but the conclusion hurriedly arrived at was reversed. In fact what the spokesman had said was just the opposite of what had been reported by the news agency.
A longer version of the same interview of the TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid available on the internet brought home quite another story.
In it the spokesman was heard drawing a cricketing analogy to explain his organisation’s views on Syed Munawar Hassan’s recent remarks in which he had declared the slain Tehreek-i-Taliban leader, Hakeemullah Mehsud, as a martyr.
Shahid, in applying his logic to sift fact from fiction, had highlighted how Tendulkar was praised and how a bad performance by Misbah on the other hand had, or should have, the media criticising the Pakistan skipper. And then he had asked, media more pointedly than any one else, to report factually on who was a martyr and who was not. His was rather long-winded delivery of the message. Someone took out a portion of his statement and released it on the net where it went viral within hours.
The longer and more comprehensive version of the interview did not quite match the formula where cricket mixed with militancy must find Pakistan acrimoniously positioned against an ‘enemy’. It said “…those who have denounced Munawar Hassan sahib are in fact saying that a Pakistani soldier, who dies while fighting for the Americans and for the British …and for democracy, is a martyr.
And…Hakeemullah (shaheed) and other mujahideen who are fighting for Islam, must not be considered as martyrs even if they are in heaven because they were opposed to the Pakistan government and the Pakistani state.”
In the same interview, the TTP spokesman had made it clear that no talks could be held with the Pakistan government for now and the matter would be held with the government would now be taken by the new ameer, Maulana Fazlullah.
In a clear policy statement, Shahidullah Shahid said the TTP was fighting for the enforcement of Shariah in the country. “If this can happen through negotiations, so be it,” he said. “… we would only negotiate if we know these negotiations will lead to the enforcement of Shariah.”
He said the TTP’s call for ending drone strikes, release of prisoners and withdrawal of troops from the tribal region, was made only to gauge the sincerity of the government and see if it had the authority (to make the talks meaningful).
“The whole world now knows the government is neither sincere nor does it have the authority to accept these demands.”
In the same interview, the spokesman praised the PTI leader Imran Khan for stopping Nato supplies. “This is hurting the Americans,” he said.
He said that those believing in secularism, nationalism and democracy could not be the friends of the TTP, but added: “…definitely, this (the Nato blockade) is a good step and this could not but create a soft corner in our heart for him (Imran).”
Shahidullah Shahid dispelled the impression about differences among the Taliban over the appointment of Mullah Fazlullah as new chief of the TTP, saying members representing Mehsuds in the Shura had fully endorsed his selection.
“Mehsuds can never quit the group. Mehsuds are like head of this body,” he maintained, insisting that Fazlullah was appointed with consensus. He recalled the Mehsuds had wanted the Swat TTP leader to head the umbrella organisation after the death of its founding leader, Baitullah Mehsud. “How could they have been against him now,” he asked.
