Father Of Taliban - Sami-ul-Haq’s naya Pakistan

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam — Sami (JUI-S) have agreed to form a ‘joint strategy’ for the upcoming elections. The leaderships of the two parties has decided that mutual consultations will continue so the alliance can be materialised before the next general elections. That the development come at a time when efforts to revive Mutahhida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA)are in progress makes it even more significant.

It is unsurprising that Imran Khan thought it was okay to join hands with the self-proclaimed ‘father of the Taliban’. The PTI chairman has issued several pro-Taliban statements in the past. However, progressive supporters of the party that ironically claims to be the torchbearer of change must have felt disappointed after the recent announcement. At a time when the country is engaged in war against terrorist outfits, the last thing we need is political leaders forming alliances with extremist figures who share the hateful mindset that is responsible for the monster of terror Pakistan is fighting today.

Last year, the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government had given a grant of Rs300m to Sami-ul-Haq’s seminary Dar-ul-Uloom Haqqania. Khan had responded to criticism by saying that the amount would help bring the seminary students into the mainstream. Jamia Haqqania officially supports the Afghan Taliban and several high-profile terrorists studied at the seminary. The argument that a terror-producing factory can be ‘reformed’ by awarding such a huge amount of money is flawed and it sums up pretty much everything that’s wrong with Pakistan’s approach towards the extremism threat. To reform the ceremony, KP government — in consultation with the other provincial and central governments — needs to undertake curricula reform and to vet teachers affiliated with the seminary. And if the government is sincere about mainstreaming seminary students, it should improve public education infrastructure and ensure that all school-age children are enrolled at these schools.

Some analysts have explained the PTI-JUI-S alliance as yet another engineered attempt by the powers-that-be. Imran Khan needs to realise that at a time when his party is going strong in terms of its popularity among urban youth and educated middle class professionals, such decisions will end up affecting his support base ahead of the next general election. The likes of Sami-ul-Haq are the ideological brothers of those who have mercilessly killed thousands of Pakistani citizens. An alliance with his party would mean the PTI endorses this hateful ideology, in which case, the country will be much better off without the ‘Naya Pakistan’ the party has to offer.