Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has won the first round. Not only was its principal interlocutor Maulana Samiul Haq entertained to a sumptuous breakfast at the Prime Minister House he has also won Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's concurrence that state is prepared to meet the Taliban leadership and talk of peace. Early last month when Samiul Haq said the prime minister asked him to arrange talks with Taliban his claim was rubbished by the government. But then government set up a committee to initiate talks, to which the TPP promptly responded by nominating a team of its interlocutors with same Samiul Haq as its head, surprising everyone in the county, including prime ministers' own close aides. Then the popular perception was that somewhere work is in hand to secure respite from targeted military operation. And that respite it got, though terrorism kept visiting the targets of its choice. Of late that kind of fondness for the TTP leadership seems to be a passion on the part of the government - a change of heart so bravely, if not brazenly, and confessed by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali. Winding up debate on the government's new internal security policy in the National Assembly the other day he said the TTP 'may be opposed to the government but they are not anti-Pakistan'. Nothing could be more diabolic. Yes, the Taliban-claimed violence during the last few weeks, particularly since the initiation of 'mazakrat'- though this violence has been target-specific. But the Taliban-owned terrorism was rampant even during the present parliamentary opposition was in power. Yes, a few politicians too suffered at the hands of the Taliban, but their main targets have been the state institutions particularly defence forces and security organisations, as well the man in the street. Then, they conceive the constitution of Pakistan un-Islamic, want parliamentary democracy replaced with caliphate headed by a person like Fazlullah, and entertain no respect for the country's geographic borders. If they are not anti-state what then are the anti-state forces? Chaudhry Nisar may say Additional Sessions Judge Rafaqat Awan died at the hands of his own guard - if you accept his version that suicide-bombers killed during raid on Islamabad district courts were the only two assailants and refute scores of witnesses on the spot who insist they numbered many and some of them might be armed with other than Kalashnikovs. But if he intended conveying that the carnage in the capital's courts was the work of others and not of the TTP men then there is the problem.
One would hate to be dubbed as anti-peace talks even with elements at war with the state. But there is a way to go about it - by recognising TTP as equal partner the PML-N government would be lending legitimacy to the outfit which is banned under the law, its leaders are nominated in cases of murder and are openly hostile to very existence of Pakistan as a democratic country. If the government position is untenable in the eyes of law it is also bereft of political vision the leadership is expected to imbibe. By limiting the proposed talks to North Waziristan-based terrorists and only with those who swear allegiance to Afghanistan-based Fazlullah the government would be indirectly inviting others in this business of killing people to establish their relevance. Incidence of terrorism permeates the length and breadth of Pakistan and terrorists are of all colours and creeds. Even more dangerous is the Samiul Haq's insistence that army leadership should also be involved. What does it imply: it implies that the elected government is not fully mandated to take decisions in matters concerning the country's law and order.
The argument that in the past the local army commanders and terrorist leaders had been talking is no more valid, mainly for the reason that the then government was headed by a military commander. Also, the demands now being aired by the TTP are pregnant with far more serious consequences than before when the talks were essentially focused on law and order situation. TTP wants substitution of democratic system with their peculiar version of Islamic state; insist their prisoners, including foreigners be freed; and army should depart from the tribal areas of their choosing. Mercifully the corps commanders in their last meeting have rejected all these demands including the suggestion that army be part of the negotiating team. How much hollow is the argument that the new committee would have powers to take on-the-spot decisions. We haven't forgotten yet the same source claiming earlier that his committee enjoyed unqualified mandate of the prime minister. Maybe there is something more to the talks with TTP than what meets the eye. Perhaps, it is the 'foreign hand' more vigorously involved now than before - there is some talk about India's RAW being involved in the carnage at the Islamabad courts. Therefore, it would be in the fitness of things that Prime Minister should speak to the nation or address the parliament. The gravity of situation brooks no hush-hush confabulations and subterranean approaches to a threat of existential significance. It's defining moment in our history. Think before you leap.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Pakistan: Hasten slowly
Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has won the first round. Not only was its principal interlocutor Maulana Samiul Haq entertained to a sumptuous breakfast at the Prime Minister House he has also won Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's concurrence that state is prepared to meet the Taliban leadership and talk of peace. Early last month when Samiul Haq said the prime minister asked him to arrange talks with Taliban his claim was rubbished by the government. But then government set up a committee to initiate talks, to which the TPP promptly responded by nominating a team of its interlocutors with same Samiul Haq as its head, surprising everyone in the county, including prime ministers' own close aides. Then the popular perception was that somewhere work is in hand to secure respite from targeted military operation. And that respite it got, though terrorism kept visiting the targets of its choice. Of late that kind of fondness for the TTP leadership seems to be a passion on the part of the government - a change of heart so bravely, if not brazenly, and confessed by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali. Winding up debate on the government's new internal security policy in the National Assembly the other day he said the TTP 'may be opposed to the government but they are not anti-Pakistan'. Nothing could be more diabolic. Yes, the Taliban-claimed violence during the last few weeks, particularly since the initiation of 'mazakrat'- though this violence has been target-specific. But the Taliban-owned terrorism was rampant even during the present parliamentary opposition was in power. Yes, a few politicians too suffered at the hands of the Taliban, but their main targets have been the state institutions particularly defence forces and security organisations, as well the man in the street. Then, they conceive the constitution of Pakistan un-Islamic, want parliamentary democracy replaced with caliphate headed by a person like Fazlullah, and entertain no respect for the country's geographic borders. If they are not anti-state what then are the anti-state forces? Chaudhry Nisar may say Additional Sessions Judge Rafaqat Awan died at the hands of his own guard - if you accept his version that suicide-bombers killed during raid on Islamabad district courts were the only two assailants and refute scores of witnesses on the spot who insist they numbered many and some of them might be armed with other than Kalashnikovs. But if he intended conveying that the carnage in the capital's courts was the work of others and not of the TTP men then there is the problem.
One would hate to be dubbed as anti-peace talks even with elements at war with the state. But there is a way to go about it - by recognising TTP as equal partner the PML-N government would be lending legitimacy to the outfit which is banned under the law, its leaders are nominated in cases of murder and are openly hostile to very existence of Pakistan as a democratic country. If the government position is untenable in the eyes of law it is also bereft of political vision the leadership is expected to imbibe. By limiting the proposed talks to North Waziristan-based terrorists and only with those who swear allegiance to Afghanistan-based Fazlullah the government would be indirectly inviting others in this business of killing people to establish their relevance. Incidence of terrorism permeates the length and breadth of Pakistan and terrorists are of all colours and creeds. Even more dangerous is the Samiul Haq's insistence that army leadership should also be involved. What does it imply: it implies that the elected government is not fully mandated to take decisions in matters concerning the country's law and order.
The argument that in the past the local army commanders and terrorist leaders had been talking is no more valid, mainly for the reason that the then government was headed by a military commander. Also, the demands now being aired by the TTP are pregnant with far more serious consequences than before when the talks were essentially focused on law and order situation. TTP wants substitution of democratic system with their peculiar version of Islamic state; insist their prisoners, including foreigners be freed; and army should depart from the tribal areas of their choosing. Mercifully the corps commanders in their last meeting have rejected all these demands including the suggestion that army be part of the negotiating team. How much hollow is the argument that the new committee would have powers to take on-the-spot decisions. We haven't forgotten yet the same source claiming earlier that his committee enjoyed unqualified mandate of the prime minister. Maybe there is something more to the talks with TTP than what meets the eye. Perhaps, it is the 'foreign hand' more vigorously involved now than before - there is some talk about India's RAW being involved in the carnage at the Islamabad courts. Therefore, it would be in the fitness of things that Prime Minister should speak to the nation or address the parliament. The gravity of situation brooks no hush-hush confabulations and subterranean approaches to a threat of existential significance. It's defining moment in our history. Think before you leap.
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