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“You mean brighter boys than yourself?”

“Brats, not bright!” I said.

“But brighter brats!”

“Shut up, yar!”

“For me, personally, the most annoying thing was when the teachers told me to 'do more!' This only made me do less!” Babboo said brazenly.

“And you think you were a bright student? My friend, if only you had paid attention to the advice of your teachers you would have saved yourself much trouble in later life. By asking you to do more they only meant ke tum banday bun jao,” I said.

“But have you realised that there is never an end to this mantra of 'do more', 'do more'. My experience is that the more you listen to such meaningless advice the more problems you land yourself in. And mind you, anyone who repeats these two words like a parrot in your ear is not your friend. It has also been observed that those who cannot do a job well, start telling others to do more!”

“Who are you referring to?” I asked.

“The United States, obviously!” Babboo surprised me by his answer.

“Why the US?”

“You see, the more they failed to rein in the Taliban, the more they kept chanting 'Pakistan should do more', 'Pakistan should do more'!”

“I suppose what they perhaps meant was that Pakistan should do more in Pakistan — not in Iraq or Afghanistan!” I pointed out in support of the Americans.

“In Iraq and Afghanistan the US had already DONE much more than was necessary,” replied Babboo.

“So, what you mean, perhaps, is that what they did in Iraq and Afghanistan they now want Pakistan to do in Pakistan!”

“I couldn't follow you.”

“You missed the point?”

“What is the point?”

“The point is that Pakistan too should kill as many innocent people in Pakistan as the US and their Allies have killed in Iraq.”

“What about India. Their record in Kashmir is not any less impressive,” Babboo added.

“True. In the eyes of the Americans perhaps Pakistan should match at least India's score.”

“Score?”

“Score of killing its own people — just as the Indians have done in Kashmir.”

“Yes, this is a good benchmark — to be followed by other nations, or more specifically, friends of America. When you are dealing with a grave situation you have to set some rules before you achieve your goal. That's why the Americans think Pakistan is not doing enough. But I suppose unlike the US, Pakistan has neither the know-how nor the experience...”

“Know-how? Experience?”

“Experience of killing innocent people in large numbers!” said Babboo.

“Yaar, Babboo, you are right. Look how smoothly they killed millions of innocent people in Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Vietnam, Cambodia and elsewhere! The Russians too had acquired this technology and killed innocent Russians in Siberia. The interesting thing is both these super powers got away with it. Someone has rightly said 'if great nations have no morality, morality is not a great thing!' Also, it reminds me of a verse by the well known Indian poet, Kalim Aajiz...”

“Woh to Bihari thhe...” Babboo interrupted. I thought it was uncalled for.

“Phir wohi?” I couldn't help protest.

“Yar, don't get offended, listen to the sher Daamun pe koi chheent na khanjar pe koi daagh; tum qatl karo ho ke karamaat karo ho!”

“Subhanallah!” I said.

“Like in other fields, Pakistan lags behind in this department as well — despite being a nuclear power!” Babboo said.

“What department?”

“DKIC — Department of Killing Innocent Citizens.”

“Don't try to be funny. There should be a limit to stretching this argument,” I said.

“I am not being funny. Killing is a fact of life, just as saving life is, nay, a noble duty. What is ironic, in order to save the lives of innocent people, you sometimes have to kill those who are not so innocent.”

“Who?”

“The militants, the terrorists, the suicide bombers, you fool! Don't you see how many of them have been eliminated by our armed forces in Malakand, Swat, North and South Waziristan, Khyber Agency and other areas?”

“But in these operations Pakistan too has lost so many precious lives. More Pakistani military officers and men have been killed in these operations than the casualties suffered by the American and their Allies fighting the Al-Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan.”

“And yet, the Americans want Pakistan to do more? They are worse than my teachers in school who made my life miserable by telling me all the time to do more! I am glad I never listened to them.

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