Pakistan's ‘Taliban Khan’ : What’s in a name?

IRFAN HUSAIN

PLENTY, if it happens to be ‘Taliban Khan’. The wit who bestowed the nickname on Imran Khan probably had no idea how lethally accurate this label would prove to be. He may have intended to be ironic, but turned out to be prescient.

The TTP, in nominating the PTI chief to their negotiating team, recognised his services to their cause, and were clearly hurt when the politician declined the honour. A Taliban spokesman voiced his regret, saying that Imran Khan had been nominated for his good deeds. Now what would be those be? His consistent refusal to condemn the terrorist groups for their long campaign of slaughter and mayhem? His condemnation of the American drones that have been the only weapons the Taliban fear? Or his blockade of Nato containers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the province his party governs? The confusion at the heart of Imran Khan’s worldview was exposed when the KP government refused permission to the well-intentioned folk who wanted to launch Malala Yousafzai’s autobiography at Peshawar University recently. Although his party runs the province, all the PTI chief could say was that he could not understand why the launch had been stopped. He could have overruled his ministers, but preferred to bleat a tweet. Considering that the PTI purports to be a party for all Pakistanis, including women and the minorities, its ambiguous stance towards the Taliban contradicts its own manifesto. Given that the jihadis want to lock women up; kill Shias and treat the minorities as second-class citizens, why should any of these unfortunate people wish to support Imran Khan? For years, the PTI chief has been demanding talks with the Taliban. In this, he is not alone. Politicians across the right wing have echoed this mantra. Thus far, the TTP has refused talks, or it has used negotiated local truces as tactical pauses in which they have regrouped. Time and again, they have broken their pledges and launched fresh attacks when it suited them. This time, too, members of the TTP have set off bombs in Peshawar in which many were killed and wounded. This has happened as negotiating teams from both sides gathered in the city for ‘peace talks’. Two members of the TTP team, Maulana Samiul Haq (‘father of the Taliban’) and Maulana Abdul Aziz (of the Red Mosque burqa fame), have declared that the Taliban will accept nothing short of the imposition of the Sharia. Obviously, this cannot be conceded without scrapping the Constitution. So what will the talks be about? Even though Nawaz Sharif has declared that the government negotiating team will have ‘full authority’, I doubt if this extends to handing over the state to the Taliban. The ruling party is far short of the two-thirds parliamentary majority it would need to make any significant constitutional amendments. Other TTP demands include the release of its prisoners and the withdrawal of the army from the tribal areas. Conceding either or both would not sit well with our security forces who have shed a great deal of blood in this war. While they have been restrained in their response by the government, the sight of hundreds of hardened killers walking free will be salt on the many wounds they have suffered. And a military pullout from Fata will be akin to surrendering the state’s shredded sovereignty to a bunch of mediaeval holy warriors. Although public memory is short, it wasn’t that long ago when the Afghan Taliban were flogging women for showing an inch of skin, and stopping their treatment by male doctors. Music and sports were banned, and education was limited to the scriptures. Girls could not go to school. Is this the kind of Pakistan we want? Over the years, the TTP has systematically destroyed schools and colleges, specially those institutions girls attended. They have attacked video shops and barbers who dared to shave men. Thus, they have made no secret of what they would do when they come to power. In fact, we have a Taliban blueprint for governance before us in the form of Swat Valley when it was briefly under their rule. Blood flowed in public squares, and people escaped if they could, or lived under a reign of terror. Maulana Fazlullah, better known as Mullah Radio in those days, was local commander of the Taliban then; since then, he has been elevated to the position of emir of the TTP. These, then, are the people Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif and far too many others would have us negotiate with. Thus far, none of this talk-talk brigade has clearly said what these talks would be about. Until our leaders see the magnitude and true nature of the threat, I fear Pakistan is doomed to continue its slide into darkness.