There was a strong reaction by some against Pakistani journalist Usman A Khan Tahir’s statement condemning the suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan for which the Taliban claimed responsibility. So far, 103 people were killed & 235 are in hospital with different degrees of injuries. Some will die, others will be permanently disabled, all will be emotionally devastated for the rest of their lives after sustaining over 16 years of occupation & bombing. Hundreds of their loved ones are waiting outside morgues, hospitals, or preparing funerals. Not a single one of those who were blown to death, injured, or lost a beloved family member will parse the odious & false distinction between a US-coalition bomb & a Taliban bomb.
Afghan Ramzy Noor lays out the meaning of equivocations about Taliban suicide bombing with particular poignancy & cogency: “I walk by that road often and so are my friends; someday we will also be labelled by Pakistanis as “soldiers who got blown away” after our dead bodies are on the street. Such is the mentality of our neighbours that despite their continuous support for US occupation and continuously sheltering terrorists they still have the audacity to blame us.”
(PS: Just to clarify, there is considerable opposition to the Afgan War among Pakistanis, including active opposition. Those who rationalize Taliban bombing of civilians do not represent the best of Pakistani politics.)