A threat to peaceful elections

And a challenge to law enforcement authorities

A new threat has emerged to the forthcoming elections. The TTP has called off the offer of talks with the government accusing the civil and military administration of being non-serious. It has also reiterated its opposition to the prevailing political system, calling it an “un-Islamic democratic system which only serves the interests of infidels and enemies of Islam.” The TTP has told the voters to abstain from participating in the election activity. What is more it has specifically advised them stay away from the gatherings organized by the PPP, ANP and MQM. In other words the TTP is to decide henceforth which parties are to be allowed to participate in the elections and which are to be kept out of the race. It remains to be seen how the parties excluded from the TTP advisory react to the challenge posed by the militant network. Will they rejoice at having been given an assurance of violence free campaigning or join hands with the condemned parties to reject the ultimatum? It is in the long term interest of the political parties to act in support of the system and desist the temptation for appeasement.

The militant network has also declared a war against the courts. Accepting responsibility for the suicide attack inside the Peshawar judicial complex, it has maintained that judiciary has “failed to protect innocent citizens like Dr Aafia Siddiqui.” It claims that TTP’s so far unknown affiliate Aafia Siddqui Brigade has conducted the attack that killed four innocent persons and injured 25 others. One can hardly find any justification for blaming the judiciary for failure to protect the activist. Does the network hold only the judiciary in Peshawar responsible for what it considers an act of culpable neglect or is looking for an opportunity to target other courts in the country as well? To many the attack is in fact reflective of Sufi Mohammad mindset; Sufi had in 2009 rejected the constitution along with the parliament, executive and judiciary for being against Islam.

A successful conclusion of the forthcoming elections would strengthen democracy and weaken the hold of the offstage players and conventional powerbrokers. The larger the voter turnout, the stronger would be the elected government. For this there is a need to deal effectively with the elements who are trying to scare away the voters and threatening the political leaders. The TTP warning poses a challenge to the intelligence agencies and law enforcement authorities. What is needed is to ensure that there is no major incident of terrorism during the election campaign which would kick off after the completion of the scrutiny of the nomination papers by the ECP and the announcement of the election schedule by the president.