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He said that while the fanatical quasi-religious narrative appeared senseless, it could not be dismissed as inconsequential due to its widespread influence. Therefore it needs to be directly confronted while acknowledging that it is impossible to sustain a “counter-terrorism effort without a counter-extremism effort”. He went on to exalt democracy as the only system capable of challenging radicalism. Bilawal recalled the contributions of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to democracy while his enemies promoted Islamisation in the country, and also of Benazir Bhutto, who forged a roadmap to tackle extremism, was consistently targeted, and later assassinated by extremist forces. He critiqued the current government’s “path of inaction” at length, claiming that the National Action Plan (NAP), while it is a comprehensive strategy on paper, was not having much effect in reality.
He clarified by drawing attention to the lack of efforts to tackle extremist ideologies outside the battlefield. He denounced the government’s misuse of its powers to suppress political dissent under the guise of anti-terrorism laws, and cited the banning of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM’s) leader’s speeches, as well as political cases against MQM and PPP. He drew attention to the PPP’s efforts to dismantle criminal outfits in Karachi, especially Lyari, and stated that while successes had been gained, there was still a long way to go. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s speech was predominantly sound in principle, and should be lauded as an excellent attempt at framing the issues as they stand. The emphasis he placed on the need to fathom the complexities of extremist ideology is a direly needed addition to the discourse on the matter. He crucially highlighted that all religions are susceptible to extremism, due to their inevitable link to politics.
Strains of extremism are also found in Christianity, Hinduism (currently manifested in the Hindutva ideology) and even Buddhism. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, an ideological vacuum opened up as the overwhelming adoption of the neoliberal paradigm and capitalist values did not take into account those who suffered the brunt of the ensuing disparity. This vacuum was filled by the religious-extremist narrative. Another accurate assertion is that democracy is the only system that can fend off the evils of fanaticism. However, democracy is not an ideology in and of itself; it is a political representation system within which all manner of ideologies can contend. It must also be pointed out that the speaker eluded intellectual honesty on some points.
Many governments, including the previous PPP government, had operated under the illusion that those leading this campaign of extremism could be conciliated through dialogue. It was the violent massacres by the militants that shattered this fantasy, with the military forcing the politicians’ hand towards a forceful response. Moreover, while Benazir Bhutto is rightfully revered for giving her life for her principles, it is nevertheless important to remember that in 1994 the Taliban were launched during her tenure. Most significantly, Bilawal highlighted the fact that military action is insufficient; there is a need to counter fanaticism at its core and roots. To do this, there is a need for a counter-narrative, which is currently non-existent. The NAP has so far not had the total effect intended due to a lack of concerted, centralised effort that has left gaps the terrorists have so far been taking advantage of. Similarly, unless a powerful counter-narrative is developed, such pernicious ideologies will continue to be reborn within the womb of society.
https://ppppunjab.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/daily-times-editorial-bilawal-at-usip/
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