More Nonsense From Our Leaders

Sherry Rehman Yousuf Raza Gillani pens an op-ed in the Washington Post detailing the government's policies on countering terrorism and other national issues. I count five separate false, misleading, or erroneous statements.

It is important for Pakistan -- which has transited from an authoritarian regime to democratic governance -- that the message of this first critical post-election period be bold and clear.

Pakistan has not transited from an authoritarian regime to a democratic one. There are two people who are making all the important political decisions in the country right now; combined they received a grand total of ZERO votes in the February elections.

My government is a coalition of modern, moderate, innovative, progressive democratic forces determined to jump-start the economy and to rebuild the social fabric of Pakistan.

If by "modern, moderate, innovative, progressive democratic forces determined to jump-start the economy and to rebuild the social fabric of Pakistan" you actually mean "backward, largely illiterate, finger-pointing, blame-deflecting, feudals and industrialists bent only on their own power and profit, not entirely different in their worldview than the Khakis they replaced and ill-concerned with the problems of average Pakistanis" then, yes, I agree with you.

We have released detained judges and will restore an independent judiciary, the centerpiece of civil society.

Just not that judiciary. That we're going to stay away from like it's the plague.

Pakistan will not negotiate with terrorists, but it will not refrain from talking to insurgent tribesmen whose withdrawal of support could help drain the swamp in which terrorists fester and grow. Yet no talks will be held with anyone refusing to lay down arms.

No.

Erroneous comparisons have been made between our new policy and the failed deals reached with tribal militants along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in 2004 and 2006. Those agreements were signed after militant groups bruised Pakistan's security forces in battle. Now we are negotiating from a position of strength.

This is laughably and ludicrously false. It is the complete opposite of what the situation on the ground is. Whether or not you agree with negotiating with militants, no one can argue that Pakistan is doing so from a position of strength. Militant groups have made daily life in Pakistan a living hell, with an average of one suicide bombing per week last year and a similar rate this year. Indeed, it is because of their success that the government is negotiating with them. To pretend otherwise is just insulting our intelligence.