By Amir Zia
Monday, June 23, 2014
The News
The farce of the much-hyped ‘peace-talks’ with the local Taliban is over and now rests in the dustbin of history. Let’s try to forget how much time and energy some of our honourable ministers and cheerleaders of the Taliban wasted on selling this unsaleable, futile exercise to the nation.
After wasting many crucial weeks and months, the civilian leadership has finally decided to stand with the armed forces to fight the twin ghost of extremism and terrorism. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and many of his key team members suddenly turned over a new leaf. They have at last seen the light to salvation. Now, by the grace of Almighty Allah, they are on the ‘same-page’, where our military leadership wanted them to be.
Yes, the farce of the much-hyped ‘peace-talks’ with the local Taliban is over and now rests in the dustbin of history. Let’s try to forget how much time and energy some of our honourable ministers and cheerleaders of the Taliban wasted on selling this unsaleable, futile exercise to the nation. Let’s ignore the fact that those who raised a red-flag against the policy of appeasing these violent non-state actors were branded as ‘enemies of peace’. Let’s also disregard the statements of some of those ministers who want us to believe that it was the civilian leadership’s initiative and direct orders to the military high command that led to Operation ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ against militants. Such pronouncements are nothing but a poor attempt by government spin-masters and propagandists to show that they remain masters of the situation.
The good thing is that finally most politicians are apparently with the military leadership in combating the Al-Qaeda linked and inspired local and foreign militants who are out to undermine the writ of the state and are responsible for the killing of thousands of civilians and security personnel. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief Raheel Sharif together seen in photographs and television footage visiting Peshawar Headquarters or holding meetings to discuss the nitty-gritty of the operation offer a great visual and optimism to this beleaguered nation. It is picture perfect.
The 20 major terrorist attacks that occurred when the PML-N government was holding its doomed peace talks with militants from end-January till June 8 and which resulted in the martyrdom of 195 people, including dozens of soldiers was the price the nation paid for this failed process.
The government is unlikely to come up with a tangible explanation as to why it bet on talks, rejecting all sane advice given by military experts, independent analysts and some mainstream political parties against this option. Who will take responsibility for this failed plan that gave crucial breathing space to militants and resulted in the killing of 195 people and the audacious attack at Karachi’s old airport? Will Prime Minister Sharif hold the architects of these so-called ‘peace talks’ accountable? Will any heads of cabinet members roll?
When a nation is at war, national consensus and unity are a must. But it does not mean that in the name of consensus and unity, those in power stop being self- critical, avoid admitting mistakes and impede the process of accountability. This self-correction and accountability is as vital as taking on the enemy on the battlefront. It is the first step for setting the course of the national narrative on the right track when a country is passing through a protracted internal conflict as the one Pakistan faces today.
It is in Prime Minister Sharif’s enlightened self-interest to publicly identify, isolate and hold responsible all those around him who till yesterday were branding this conflict an ‘American war’ and attempting to portray Pakistan’s foes as friends. This intellectually dishonest element can again try to confuse the issue and destroy national unity against extremism and terrorism as the operation drags on – which it will, given the elusive nature of the internal enemy.
If the prime minister really means what he told the nation on the floor of parliament on June 16 that Pakistan “will no more be allowed to become a sanctuary for the terrorists,” then he should help the armed forces by spearheading the ideological fight against this scourge. And the first step in this direction remains getting rid of the Taliban sympathisers around him who have more tears in their eyes for terrorist kingpins like Hakeemullah Mehsud than for our soldiers laying down their lives for the country.
The nation has no doubts that the armed forces will destroy the terrorist safe havens and training centres in North Waziristan despite its treacherous terrain. Reclaiming and establishing the writ of the state in this last stronghold of militants is a matter of months if not weeks. Our soldiers have already done this in more than 85 percent territory of Fata. They can do it North Waziristan, which according to military sources remains the ‘centre of gravity’ for many of the local and foreign terrorists. It is this place that has been serving as the hub of terrorist activities across Pakistan. It houses various terrorist groups, from the local Taliban to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and a host of other shadowy bands of militants. It is where the majority of suicide bombers are trained and harboured. It is where the explosives-laden vehicles are prepared.
Pakistan’s armed forces will complete their mission of establishing the writ of the state in this lawless region for the first time in history where only three percent of the territory is under the control of militants and around 10 percent being contested. But the more arduous task would be fighting this faceless enemy in the major cities, towns and villages. It will require steely and unwavering resolve as the terrorists enjoy the advantage of selecting their targets across Pakistan and launching surprise attacks through their sleeper cells.
These terrorists groups abuse the sacred name of Islam and have their supporters, sympathisers and networks among many religious seminaries, mosques and legal religious and rightwing organisations. It is indeed a difficult scenario, but not a challenge that cannot be countered. The real task would be to defeat their ideological narrative, which at one level remains responsible for fanning sectarian violence and hatred and at the other declares the efforts of bringing peace, rule of law and halting the use of Pakistani territory for global and domestic terrorism as a foreign war.
This battle of narratives is much more crucial in defeating these violent non-state actors to make Pakistan a normal country – at peace with itself, its neighbours and the world. And winning this battle of ideology will be a prolonged process, requiring reclaiming our seminaries, mosques and mainstream education institutions from the clutches of fanatics and extremists.
Do the government, our major secular, religious opposition parties and clerics have a plan for this? They need to get on ‘one page’ to back the armed forces in winning this battle of narratives.
Similarly, the mainstream media has to play a crucial role in achieving this goal as Operation Zarb-e-Azb remains on the roll. This means that our electronic and print media does not in any way glamorise terrorists, become a vehicle to propagate terrorists’ viewpoint or treat them as equal to the state. In the past, while the independent media has played a responsible role in the wake of such challenges, at times it has advertently or inadvertently also stood guilty of serving as a mouthpiece of terrorists and confusing the issues.
In the wake of the operation, the extremists are likely resort to terrorist attacks – at sensitive installations, security forces and even soft civilian targets – in an attempt to deflect pressure on their last remaining sanctuary. This blowback would be a test for the nation, which has been suffering at the hands of these terrorists since early 2002. But this conflict remains unavoidable and a must to win peace for Pakistan.
The armed forces and the nation are already bracing this challenge. It is now up to our politicians – especially Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif – to lead from the front and provide the vision to win this internal war. Zarb-e-Azb has given hope to Pakistan. Pakistan has no choice other than to win this war.
Monday, June 23, 2014
The News
The farce of the much-hyped ‘peace-talks’ with the local Taliban is over and now rests in the dustbin of history. Let’s try to forget how much time and energy some of our honourable ministers and cheerleaders of the Taliban wasted on selling this unsaleable, futile exercise to the nation.
After wasting many crucial weeks and months, the civilian leadership has finally decided to stand with the armed forces to fight the twin ghost of extremism and terrorism. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and many of his key team members suddenly turned over a new leaf. They have at last seen the light to salvation. Now, by the grace of Almighty Allah, they are on the ‘same-page’, where our military leadership wanted them to be.
Yes, the farce of the much-hyped ‘peace-talks’ with the local Taliban is over and now rests in the dustbin of history. Let’s try to forget how much time and energy some of our honourable ministers and cheerleaders of the Taliban wasted on selling this unsaleable, futile exercise to the nation. Let’s ignore the fact that those who raised a red-flag against the policy of appeasing these violent non-state actors were branded as ‘enemies of peace’. Let’s also disregard the statements of some of those ministers who want us to believe that it was the civilian leadership’s initiative and direct orders to the military high command that led to Operation ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ against militants. Such pronouncements are nothing but a poor attempt by government spin-masters and propagandists to show that they remain masters of the situation.
The good thing is that finally most politicians are apparently with the military leadership in combating the Al-Qaeda linked and inspired local and foreign militants who are out to undermine the writ of the state and are responsible for the killing of thousands of civilians and security personnel. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Army Chief Raheel Sharif together seen in photographs and television footage visiting Peshawar Headquarters or holding meetings to discuss the nitty-gritty of the operation offer a great visual and optimism to this beleaguered nation. It is picture perfect.
The 20 major terrorist attacks that occurred when the PML-N government was holding its doomed peace talks with militants from end-January till June 8 and which resulted in the martyrdom of 195 people, including dozens of soldiers was the price the nation paid for this failed process.
The government is unlikely to come up with a tangible explanation as to why it bet on talks, rejecting all sane advice given by military experts, independent analysts and some mainstream political parties against this option. Who will take responsibility for this failed plan that gave crucial breathing space to militants and resulted in the killing of 195 people and the audacious attack at Karachi’s old airport? Will Prime Minister Sharif hold the architects of these so-called ‘peace talks’ accountable? Will any heads of cabinet members roll?
When a nation is at war, national consensus and unity are a must. But it does not mean that in the name of consensus and unity, those in power stop being self- critical, avoid admitting mistakes and impede the process of accountability. This self-correction and accountability is as vital as taking on the enemy on the battlefront. It is the first step for setting the course of the national narrative on the right track when a country is passing through a protracted internal conflict as the one Pakistan faces today.
It is in Prime Minister Sharif’s enlightened self-interest to publicly identify, isolate and hold responsible all those around him who till yesterday were branding this conflict an ‘American war’ and attempting to portray Pakistan’s foes as friends. This intellectually dishonest element can again try to confuse the issue and destroy national unity against extremism and terrorism as the operation drags on – which it will, given the elusive nature of the internal enemy.
If the prime minister really means what he told the nation on the floor of parliament on June 16 that Pakistan “will no more be allowed to become a sanctuary for the terrorists,” then he should help the armed forces by spearheading the ideological fight against this scourge. And the first step in this direction remains getting rid of the Taliban sympathisers around him who have more tears in their eyes for terrorist kingpins like Hakeemullah Mehsud than for our soldiers laying down their lives for the country.
The nation has no doubts that the armed forces will destroy the terrorist safe havens and training centres in North Waziristan despite its treacherous terrain. Reclaiming and establishing the writ of the state in this last stronghold of militants is a matter of months if not weeks. Our soldiers have already done this in more than 85 percent territory of Fata. They can do it North Waziristan, which according to military sources remains the ‘centre of gravity’ for many of the local and foreign terrorists. It is this place that has been serving as the hub of terrorist activities across Pakistan. It houses various terrorist groups, from the local Taliban to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and a host of other shadowy bands of militants. It is where the majority of suicide bombers are trained and harboured. It is where the explosives-laden vehicles are prepared.
Pakistan’s armed forces will complete their mission of establishing the writ of the state in this lawless region for the first time in history where only three percent of the territory is under the control of militants and around 10 percent being contested. But the more arduous task would be fighting this faceless enemy in the major cities, towns and villages. It will require steely and unwavering resolve as the terrorists enjoy the advantage of selecting their targets across Pakistan and launching surprise attacks through their sleeper cells.
These terrorists groups abuse the sacred name of Islam and have their supporters, sympathisers and networks among many religious seminaries, mosques and legal religious and rightwing organisations. It is indeed a difficult scenario, but not a challenge that cannot be countered. The real task would be to defeat their ideological narrative, which at one level remains responsible for fanning sectarian violence and hatred and at the other declares the efforts of bringing peace, rule of law and halting the use of Pakistani territory for global and domestic terrorism as a foreign war.
This battle of narratives is much more crucial in defeating these violent non-state actors to make Pakistan a normal country – at peace with itself, its neighbours and the world. And winning this battle of ideology will be a prolonged process, requiring reclaiming our seminaries, mosques and mainstream education institutions from the clutches of fanatics and extremists.
Do the government, our major secular, religious opposition parties and clerics have a plan for this? They need to get on ‘one page’ to back the armed forces in winning this battle of narratives.
Similarly, the mainstream media has to play a crucial role in achieving this goal as Operation Zarb-e-Azb remains on the roll. This means that our electronic and print media does not in any way glamorise terrorists, become a vehicle to propagate terrorists’ viewpoint or treat them as equal to the state. In the past, while the independent media has played a responsible role in the wake of such challenges, at times it has advertently or inadvertently also stood guilty of serving as a mouthpiece of terrorists and confusing the issues.
In the wake of the operation, the extremists are likely resort to terrorist attacks – at sensitive installations, security forces and even soft civilian targets – in an attempt to deflect pressure on their last remaining sanctuary. This blowback would be a test for the nation, which has been suffering at the hands of these terrorists since early 2002. But this conflict remains unavoidable and a must to win peace for Pakistan.
The armed forces and the nation are already bracing this challenge. It is now up to our politicians – especially Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif – to lead from the front and provide the vision to win this internal war. Zarb-e-Azb has given hope to Pakistan. Pakistan has no choice other than to win this war.
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