By Muhammad Faheem Belharvi
Although war
against terrorism is quite different, as it is against an invisible and ruthless
enemy which does not respect any rule, yet we can remember Shakespeare’s poetic expression which described war as ‘sons of hell’ is
even applicable today in Pakistan where terrorists’ violent acts of destruction,
fire and devastation have engulfed the entire span of living and social order, especially in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Balochistan and Karachi.
Since terrorism is illegal and unconstitutional, therefore, it tends to
enlarge its size through illegitimate means, using covert tactics and
clandestine undercurrents. In this regard, during the last ten years, Pakistan
which has become special arena of this different war has been facing terror-activities such as suicide attacks, bomb blasts,
targeted killings, beheadings of the innocent people, assaults on security personnel and prominent religious
figures including sectarian violence. Besides blowing children schools and attacking the female teachers in
order to deny education to girls, the militants also targeted mosques,
Imambargahs, mausoleums, and disgraced dead bodies. Their pitiless acts
resulted into killings of several persons in Pakistan.
However, their
barbaric acts could be judged from a recent video which was uploaded by Rasool
Jan who had joined the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in 2008, and left the
TTP after having seen the acts of barbarism by the thugs. They had decapitated
their victims and played soccer with the heads chopped by the TTP Commander of
Matini named Jangraiz Khan. This shows insurgents’ disrespect of human life and
their lack of knowledge about Islam.
It is notable that welcoming ceasefire offer of the TTP, the government led by PML-N has not only halted the air
strikes on the hideouts of the militants in the tribal areas, but also resumed
the suspended peace dialogue with the Taliban. But, taking note of the
terror-attack in the District Court of Islamabad which killed 11 people
including an additional session judge on March 4, this year coupled with
assault on the anti-polio workers in the Khyber Agency, both the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior
Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan have
repeatedly said that peace talks and violent acts of terrorism cannot go side
by side. But despite it, the government decided to continue peace talks with
the Taliban.
Nevertheless, the threat posed by
terrorism is dreadful, real and painfully ugly. The outcome of terrorist strike
remains predictable, as it brings destruction, remorse and social disorder with
awful human tragedy. Therefore, the entire society
earnestly looks towards the security forces and law-enforcing agencies to
undertake steps to provide immediate relief to the victims—break terrorist
networks and make life safer. No doubt, security forces and
law-enforcing agencies have been working very hard to fight the menace of
terrorism, and have paid heavy price by sacrificing their lives, while fighting
the terrorists. Unfortunately, the terrorists have launched clever propaganda
to promote their self-assumed agenda by associating themselves with Islam and
creating sympathizers in social milieu, knowing that majority loves Islam. Hence, a united national front could
not be created to fight and eliminate the threat posed by terrorists.
In this context, Judiciary, as part of national segment appeared
more independent and did not join in the fight against terrorism. In this
context, people have been whispering around that Judiciary, especially under
the former Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had developed some kind of vendetta
against Pakistan Army and showed insatiable desire to summon top military
leaders, while maintaining a soft mind-set for the insurgents. However, such a
mollycoddle attitude of courts for the insurgents encouraged them in their
criminal acts of violence. People also talk that 12 innocent people in District
Court of Islamabad lost their lives, as many terrorists managed to get freed
from courts for lack of evidence.
While,
Pakistan’s law-enforcing agencies and intelligence organizations which are
well-prepared in coping with terrorism are engaged in identifying and locating
the terrorist networks and their support-bases including informers and
accomplices, were discouraged as their actions were being challenged through
courts of law regarding the validity and legality of their decisions. The
militants’ lawyers availed the opportunity by indicating procedural penal
flaws. Thus, many terrorists were freed by the courts due to lack of solid
evidence in legal terms, though reality of their subversive activities existed.
Owing to this practice, efficiency of law-enforcing agencies drops to zero
level, giving a greater setback to war against terrorism and making the
concerned official insecure in face of judicial grilling.
Terrorist presently
under custody, if released by the courts because of judicial discourse will
certainly join their main terrorist networks, thereby strengthening terrorist
groups. Consequently, this ‘new style war’ will turn in favor of terrorists
instead of law-enforcing and intelligence agencies which may suffer more in the
hands of these culprits.
In fact, TTP
have been acting upon a dual strategy, as sometimes it accept responsibility
for its terror-attacks, but sometimes, it deny the same. But contradictory statements
of its spokesmen prove that this militant outfit is behind several subversive
acts which still continue at various places. In this respect, TTP has refused
that it was behind the recent attacks in Islamabad and Khyber Agency, but it
accepted responsibility when Taliban insurgents targeted the Rangers, Police
and anti-polio workers in Karachi in wake of the peace talks. Similarly,
Taliban had claimed responsibility for the brutal massacre of 23 personnel of
the Frontier Constabulary who were abducted from Mohmand Agency, four years ago
and later shifted to Afghanistan.
It is
mentionable that the TTP had condemned the brutal assault on the church in
Peshawar. But, afterwards, its spokesman had remarked that it was in accordance
with Sharia (Islamic Jurisprudence) which indicated that the group was behind
that ruthless attack. So, ambivalent statements of the TTP-led Taliban have
endorsed that it has been playing double game.Similarly, as
part of its duality, TTP did not claim responsibility for the incident of
Islamabad District Court which assassinated the honorable Session Judge,
Rafaqat Hussain Awan and a young female lawyer, Miss Fiza including many others who lost their lives. It was a stunning
shock for the entire nation as the awful event occurred when negotiation
process with Taliban was being vigorously pursued by the government.
In this
connection, on March 4, the Leader of the Opposition, Syed Khurshid Shah of the
PPP including several parliamentarians doubted the intentions of the TTP, as
they discussed Islamabad District Court’s incident. They were of the view that
on one hand, the TTP announced ceasefire and on the other hand, it was carrying
out terrorist acts. They stated that ceasefire from Taliban was another
deception attack—killing innocent people and warned that parliament house might
be the next target. They criticized the interior minister for declaring
Islamabad a safe city few days back, expressing concern that even the
Presidency and Prime Minister House were not safe.
It is of particular attention that glorification
of terrorists through media coverage of their pledges, claims etc. also
provides them confidence and resilience to continue their violent activities.
Unfortunately, it would not be wrong to state that the terrorists can get space
in media more conveniently and free of cost, as most of the domestic channels
appear more motivated and obliged to project their crimes, while businessmen
and state officials are required to make extra efforts to get their
advertisements and stories published through media.
Although it is essential for the
whole nation to get united to defeat the different enemy, yet certain entities maintained
intentional or unintentional sympathy for these Taliban. Consequently, the
terrorists are glorified and felt encouraged to continue their criminal acts. So, the war against terrorism has to
be fought by the entire nation, Judiciary and media—being part of the state
will have to realize the threat. Therefore, terrorists must not be allowed to get
freed and rejoin their main groups. The nation demands that the militants
produced before the courts must be punished for their crimes. Otherwise, judicial
activism, targeting the armed forces will prove self destructive. While the
entire nation pays homage to those who lost their lives in Islamabad District
Court in the hands of terrorists.
Media must not project the terrorists’
stance frequently. In this way, they are emboldened, as their pledges get
glorified irrespective of their evil nature or wicked designs. Now, all segments of society like
political and religious leaders including Unlmas (Religious scholars) denounce the anti-social, undemocratic and un-Islamic practices of the
militants, particularly of the TTP, who want to impose their own self-interpreted
system of Sharia on the majority of Pakistanis. But, our patriot entities
should not envisage that only security agencies can fight this war against the
menace of terrorism. So a united front of the entire nation must be formed to defeat the
terrorists. (By Sajjad Shaukat)