Sadiq, Naeem

Naeem Sadiq

Peace, progress and private armies

1 June 2002Feature Naeem Sadiq

Armed groups who operate outside of the "national armed forces" model - be they guerrillas engaged in "liberation" struggles, mercenaries or private armies - present specific challenges to antimilitarist activists, as this article by Naeem Sadiq suggests.

In October 2001, after taking over parts of the Swat, Dir and Korakoram highway in northern Pakistan, Sufi Mohammad led his 5000-strong army of Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-I-Mohammadi [one of five extremist religious groups currently banned in Pakistan] to attack the US forces operating in Afghanistan, with weapons ranging from World War One antiques to mortars used by modern-day armies.

But the fact is that most of these illiterate and misguided soldiers lost their lives to unfriendly…

Mirroring neighbours

3 December 2001Comment Naeem Sadiq

In this view from the South, Naeem Sadiq examines the events of 11 September - and beyond - in relation to the long-term Indo-Pakistani political tensions.

For an otherwise sane and normal world to so readily surrender its options, imagination, discretion and rationality - all in a single day - is a very disturbing realisation for the ordinary members of this human community.

You are either with us or with the terrorists - these are the only options, dead or alive are the only possibilities, war till victory is the only conclusion, and seeking revenge the only rationality. There is no space for dialogue. Simply take positions, join…