Islamabad, Apr 23 : The Pakistani Army must end its age old anti-India strategy and try to save Pakistan from becoming the caliphate of al Qaeda and the Taliban, according to a leading Islamabad based daily.

The Taliban are linked to al Qaeda and they are counting on such elements in Punjab to help them take their war down to other parts of Pakistan.

The majority opinion which not so long ago favoured the Nizam-e Adl Regulation (NAR) in Swat is now shifting away from a pro-Taliban stance and conceding that Pakistan might have to fight them as Pakistan’s own war after all, the Daily Times says.

When the Swat deal was being sewed up, only the MQM objected, but it was soon isolated in parliament when the National Assembly voted in favour of the NAR.

It is the army that has to step forward and face the Taliban. It has baulked so far because of adverse public opinion and an equally lethal media tilt.

But now that the politicians are waking up to the danger and the media is increasingly disabused, the army must end its India-driven strategy and try to save Pakistan from falling in the grip of al Qaeda.

In fact, Islamabad has to reach an understanding with New Delhi over the matter in order to get the army to mobilise in the numbers required.

However, if this is not done, the people will have to fight the war on their own. The MQM is asking the right question: What if the Taliban come and the army is not there to protect us?

The Daily Times says that Swat is the challenge staring us in the face. If Pakistan don’t accept it and fight the Taliban, then the world will have to come and fight it the way it thinks fit. (ANI)