In its editorial on December 24, Daily Times observed how undemocratically the war hysteria was being projected in Pakistan, as opposed to India. “Democracy is taking a backseat as aggression looms large. On the Indian side, democracy is still calling the shots.” Deciphering the parlance employed by both countries, the article observed: “It is in the nature of escalation to keep moving up the graph of hostilities. As escalation proceeds, the democratically-elected government in Islamabad will become less relevant. People looking up at the jets were supposed to feel secure, but they did not. Their reaction was panic.” In another realistic assessment, it stated: “Most panic calls came from Karachi, the hub of Pakistan’s troubled economy. The people may be brave, but the economy is a coward.”

In another editorial on December 24, Daily Times admonished conspiracy theorists from blaming Indian elements for the Marriott blasts in Islamabad. Quoting Rehman Malik, Interior Adviser, it stated: “The banned Lashkar-e-Jhangvi had carried out the attack. Those who have roped it in as a convenient excuse to blame India should now give up.”

Dawn reported on December 25: “Pakistan has proposed to Iran to buy India’s share of gas because India appears to have lost interest in the project after signing the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.” The Nation adds: “Iran has offered India and Pakistan the ‘Peace Pipeline’ to defuse tensions triggered after the Mumbai terror incident.”

In its December 25 editorial, Dawn attempted to explain to Pakistan the difference between preventing war and defeating troublemakers. “There is an unfortunate tendency in Pakistan to only look at half the problem. Not allowing the terrorists to win, that is preventing war between the two countries, is not the same as defeating them, which would require meaningful action against Jihadi networks. The Economist puts it best: “If Pakistan’s leaders had ever united against Islamist militancy as they have against India over the past three weeks, their country would not be in the violent mess that it is.”

... contd.