Military concedes that homegrown militancy is our real enemy
The terrorist networks started playing havoc in mid ’80s by attacking minority sects and religions. After the sudden reversal of policy by Musharraf in the wake of 9/11, the danger posed by them increased manifold. The militants from a number of countries then set up headquarters in the tribal areas. They then introduced their most lethal weapon: the suicide bomber. Over the last five years, they have made a most barbarous use of the new weapon, killing thousands of innocent citizens. They tried to occupy Swat and enforce a primitive system through coercion. The army had to fight hard to establish the writ of the state. The terrorists subsequently targeted the GHQ and several military establishments. Currently the military is fighting terrorists in a number of tribal agencies. It is estimated that at least 35,000 Pakistanis, including 3,000 soldiers, have been killed by terrorists since the 9/11 attacks. In October, Ambassador Sherry Rehman put the total at 42,000.
Army has long considered India as Pakistan’s enemy number one on account of major disputes and the wars fought between the two countries. It has taken fairly long to redefine the major source of threat to the people, the state and the army. Reality has finally asserted itself. The Azadi Parade speech by COAS Kayani came as a breath of fresh air. “The fight against extremism and terrorism is our own war and we are right in fighting it. Let there be no doubt about it; otherwise, we’ll be divided and taken towards civil war.” Then came his address to the passing out parade at Pakistan Naval Academy where he mentioned first the threat from the “amorphous enemy” and then the conventional threat. Now we are told that the army has declared in the new edition of its Green Book that the internal security challenges constitute the major threat to the country’s sovereignty. What remains now is to take the necessary decisions to eliminate the threat.
After the Afghan Taliban indicating flexibility and willingness to modify some of their rigid stands and Gulbadin Hikmatyar reprimanding the TTP for destroying the girls schools, calling it a violation of the teachings of Islam, the TTP finds itself isolated at a time when it is under mounting pressure from the army. It is therefore now talking about dialogue. The organisation has to be told plainly that it has to renounce violence, stop suicide bombings and terrorist attacks and agree to follow the constitution. Furthermore, it cannot be allowed to establish a state within a state. In case it fails to agree on these basic points, the only option left is a decisive military action.
