Pakistan: Finishing the job

While the government mulls over the results of negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the army takes concrete steps to eliminate terrorist sanctuaries in the tribal areas, different political parties involved or observing the process weighed in with their opinions as well. Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat-i-Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) called for a resumption of the dialogue under different auspices, with his involvement of course. The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) chief, Munawar Hasan, recently agreed with the militants, saying that peace talks and military actions were incompatible and that the government shouldn’t bow to Indian and US pressure. It may be necessary to remind him that last week the government were virtually pleading for a ceasefire while TTP attacks continued unabated in an orgy of bloodletting, despite no military action against the terrorists since the All Parties Conference in September, and over 400 civilians and military personnel killed in terrorist attacks in the same period. This cognitve dissonance is now a common theme among supporters of the negotiations, which continues irrespective of the militants’ actions and claims. The TTP’s most recent statement blaming the government for the breakdown in negotiations and demanding it put its guns down first reflects a stunning lack of recall power, considering the events of the last few months. However, as the army has shown, actions speak louder than words. The military’s limited punitive strikes against TTP infastructure in the tribal areas over the last three days have been precise and according to reports have severely damaged the militants. They lend weight to General Raheel Sharif’s statement that the armed forces are more than capable of dealing the TTP a death blow and eliminating them from their strongholds. The latest attack by helicopter gunships yesterday in Hangu reportedly killed nine militants, mostly foreigners. The precise nature of these actions highlights the disingenuousness of Imran Khan’s recent statements concerning an army operation in the tribal areas. Far from claiming that a military operation only had a 40 percent chance of success, fomer COAS General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani’s statement is more accurately rendered as stating that a military operation would immediately reduce terrorism by 40 precent, but that the government should be prepared for the blowback in a renewed wave of terrorism in the whole country. Imran’s revelation of this private statement to the public, and in a twisted form, is mendacious simply because as leaders of the people, politicians are supposed to help motivate people during difficult times, not sap their will and create panic to score political points. Opining negativity about the capabilities of one the largest and best trained armed forces in the world does not create a positive atmosphere for dialogue either; it merely undermines one side. So far strikes have reportedly killed over 60 militants, most of them from outside Pakistan, including Uzbeks and Tajiks. This fact also puts paid to Imran’s statement that the TTP are our countrymen and brothers.

However, the military requires political support and politicians who can lead in order to finish the job, which will be difficult and perhaps lengthy. The retaliatory actions by the military are a first step, not an end result, and highlight the necessity for a national security framework, something Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif placed high on his list of priorities upon taking office. A basis for the broader security strategy Pakistan will pursue is needed, in the light of the US exit from Afghanistan and the new realities Pakistan faces. Bilawal Bhutto’s statement that he aims to correct the mistakes of his mother and grandfather highlights the fact that there have been strategic mistakes made in the past and those mistakes must not be repeated. And while his party vehemently opposes the negotiations, it would be a mistake to close the door to militants who may want to put down their weapons, renounce violence and extremist ideologies, and return to civilian life. For the time being this strategy may be sufficient, though hard decisions remain in the days ahead.