In talking to militants, resist urge for quick fixes
Both the PML-N and the PTI are in a haste to initiate talks with the militants. Among other things they are approaching religious parties which enjoy good rapport with the militants. Pervez Khattak, the PTI’s nominee for the post of Chief Minister KP, has already met JUI-S chief Samiul Haq to discuss the issue. The latter claims he has also been approached by the PML-N leadership. The urgency to resolve the issue is understandable as nearly 50,000 people including about 15,000 servicemen have died in the terrorist attacks during the last decade. This has led to human suffering of an extraordinary high scale, particularly in cases where the victims happened to be the sole earning members of their families. The attacks have also created fear and uncertainty, scaring away potential investors, both local and foreign.
While there is a dire need to put an end to militancy at the earliest, the urge for quick fixes has to be resisted. All aspects of the complex issue have to be taken into consideration before moving ahead. The TTP is a motley collection of loosely bound groups. The outfit’s chief has rejected democracy as un-Islamic, advocated enforcement of Sharia through armed struggle and the establishment of a worldwide Khilafat dispensing with national states with geographical boundaries. The TTP spokesman recently declared that his organization would follow in the footsteps of Osama bin Laden, which implies turning Pakistan into a launching pad for militants working for a worldwide enforcement of the Sharia. The TTP comprises numerous groups with separate missions, some specialising in attacks on schools, some like LeJ targeting Shias. The PML-N and the PTI have yet to decide which leaders of the TTP they would meet. Hopefully both the parties realize that there can be no compromise on the constitution and the law of the land.
The two parties have yet to do a lot of homework. They need to sit together to determine the line to be taken jointly during any possible talks. There is also a need to get detailed briefing from the army and the security agencies to know why past agreements brokered with the militants failed to bring peace. They also have to understand why the army takes a stand different from that of the two parties. Gen. Kayani has called the fight against extremism and militancy as Pakistan’s own war. He has supported the elections maintaining that anti-democratic forces would never be acceptable. On Monday he praised the nation’s commitment to moderation and rule of law and congratulated the people for withstanding the threat of terrorism and defying the “unfounded dictates of an insignificant and misguided minority” by actively participating in the general elections. As Nawaz Sharif too has suggested there is a need for all stake holders to thoroughly discuss the various aspects of the issue.
