Taking a page from Sun Tzu's book The Art of War, the militants follow what Field Marshal Erwin Rommel achieved to perfection: "Hit first, hit hard, and keep on hitting."
This should have been Pakistan's modus operandi even before the talks started. The Pakistan Army may not be trained in guerrilla warfare, but having the fifth largest army in the world, with an air force that can bring any enemy to its knees the nation doesn't have to beg for peace.
Mullahs should be apolitical, they should preach not dictate. The Pakistan government has adopted, to the dismay of the nation, an apologetic attitude, caught by surprise and dismay. It should speak from a position of strength as Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf said in an interview.
A call for ceasefire should come from the militants, not from Pakistan.
Wg-Cdr (r) Ahmed Shah Jan
