The absence of a universally accepted definition of terrorism does not mean that there is no understanding of what terrorism represents. Terrorism is the deliberate, planned and systematic use or threat of use of violence and coercion in pursuance of some definite socio-political or politico-religious agenda. It is an attempt to force a change of behavior or policy output of, or subjugate an individual, group, community and an established authority by intimidation, violence and damage to property and killings of human beings.
The judgment on terrorism involves objective and subjective evaluation. Therefore, an individual labeled as terrorist by one person may be described as a freedom fighter by another person or group. However, any indiscriminate violence against unarmed individuals and a wholesale destruction of their property in a planned manner will be viewed as terrorism even when this is done in the name of freedom struggle or such a strategy is adopted to challenge a political authority with dubious legitimacy.
In Pakistan, terrorism has many manifestations; suicide bombing is one of them. There are no born suicide bombers. Most of them are young persons, ranging from the ages of 14-16 years to 27-28 who are prepared by a two interlinked mind-capturing processes. Their societal links with the family and friends are cut-off and they are indoctrinated into an ideology and trained for undertaking the mission. A highly extreme and intolerant interpretation of Islam is employed to prepare for such missions. The target is projected as the enemy of Islam or an agent of the enemies of Islam in the garb of a Muslim whose killing is described as a service to Islam and ensures martyrdom status in the other world.
The experience of other countries shows that suicide bombers can be created in the name of nationalism and a worldly ideology through similar processes. There is an attempt to completely isolate a young mind from all his/her commitments and links and captivate that young mind by a narrow ideological framework. This is a commitment to make the sacrifice of life for a supreme cause as implanted in their mind through indoctrination.
The main basis of terrorism is extremism and intolerance. There is no value of life and property of those who do not fully share your ideological and political agenda or do not accept the authority and command of those pursuing an extreme ideology or political agenda.
Pakistan is experiencing three types of terrorism now-a-days. First, violence and intimidation by Baloch dissidents and separatist groups in some districts of Balochistan has threatened peace and stability. These are secular groups. Their main targets are people from the Punjab and Sindh who are providing services in education, healthcare and other urban professions. This has caused the shortage of qualified teachers and other professionals in Balochistan. The state authorities are often unable to adequately protect the citizens. There have also been a large number of instances of violent attacks on the police, paramilitary and the army personnel and civilian government officials.
Second, a host of militant Islamic groups based in the tribal areas, describing themselves as the Pakistani Taliban, are engaged in terrorism and intimidation mainly in the tribal areas. In some tribal areas, they function as a parallel government and engage in armed confrontation with the Pakistans security forces. The Pakistani Taliban trained a large number of suicide bombers who resorted to suicide bombings in various Pakistani cities during 2007-2010. Their activists engaged in bombing public places and assaulted various offices of civilian government, police, military and intelligence agencies and killed people. In addition to those working under the rubric of the Pakistani Taliban, there are several local militant groups that have local agendas of establishing their domain of authority. They also clash with security forces and fight with each other. There are unknown number of foreign terrorists from the Arab world and Central Asia, including some Al-Qaeda activists, in the tribal areas.
Third, an array of militant Islamic groups are based in mainland Pakistan, especially in the Punjab, that have proliferated over times as breakaway groups emerged out of them. The old and well-known groups can be identified but the mushroom growth of factions cannot be fully accounted for. The well-known Punjab based groups include Lashkar-e-Tayyaba/ Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Jaish-i-Muhammad, Sipah-i-Sahaba (working under a new name) and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi. They have break-away factions, each working as the loyalist of the breakaway leader. These factions are more violent than their parent organization. Some of them were involved in attacking military and police installations and personnel.
These groups and factions can be divided into two overlapping categories: Islamic-sectarian and those focusing on Kashmir. The former include the Sipah-e-Sahaba and the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and their breakaway factions that target the followers of other Islamic sects and their places of worship and Sufi shrines. They are also involved in terrorism against government installations and military and police personnel. Some small but violent groups like Jundallah have surfaced in Karachi. A similar group extends over Pakistani and Iranian Balochistan. The Taliban type militant factions are said to be operative in Karachi which have strong sectarian orientations. The Taliban are also involved in sectarian violence in Quetta and some tribal areas where the Shia are located. They also target the Ahmadis.
The Lashkar-i-Tayyaba and Jaish-i-Muhammad focus on Indian-administered Kashmir and India. However, their breakaway leaders get involved in sectarian and other violent attacks in Pakistan. The Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-i-Insaniat, affiliates of the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, devote attention to social welfare and educational activities in the poor sections of the society. The Taliban and mainland militant groups subscribe to Deobandi, Wahabi/Salafi and Ahl-e-Hadees (Hadith) Islamic traditions.
These militant and sectarian groups can be checked, if not eliminated, partly by using force and partly by creating alternate political and ideological discourses. This calls for reforming the traditional Islamic education that is the bastion of religious orthodoxy and sectarianism. Young people need to be socialized into cultural pluralism and religious tolerance through education, the media and other means of socialisation and mobilisation.
The writer is an independent political and defence analyst.