Taliban talks offer, renewed operations in Balochistan and GB offer new dynamic
Another talks offer from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has come amidst a renewed onslaught from the TTP and a military counter offensive. The last two weeks have seen a rise in terrorist attacks on installations ranging all across the frontiers of Pakistan. The threat has been spiked up after the Dera Ismail Khan jailbreak and the current offer from the TTP, from a re-negotiated position of strength, should be seen with a reasonable level of suspicion by the federal government. The peace talks offer makes specific reference to “speaking to the government if religious leaders are involved”, while naming the usual suspects, Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) group Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Munawar Hasan. Of interest is to note that the name of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief and now Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has not been included this time around despite the apparent closeness of the Punjab government to extremist groups.
With the US Consulate in Lahore shut in lieu of a “specific threat” which now appears to be expanding to include the Punjab, the question is over the Punjab government’s will to take on an offensive against extremist recruiting grounds in Gujranwala, Kasur, Sialkot and Southern Punjab. Following the US warning to its citizens not to travel to Pakistan, Al-Qaeda linked militants killed 13 people in attacks on mosques in the subsequent hours. These includes an attack in Quetta, where ten people died and a suicide attack on the Quetta Police Lines on Thursday, in which more than 30 policemen were killed including most of the Balochistan police force top brass. Another attack in the federal capital was foiled in the nick of time.
The upping of violence in Balochistan has resulted in the Chief Justice taking suo motu notice over the issue after 60 people died in attacks over the last week. The Balochistan chief minister has also announced his government’s resolve to not bow down before the terrorists and continue fight against them till their elimination. The TTP has now made Balochistan successfully its second base while continuing on its plan to expand into the country’s main cities, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore. The result is that the Pakistan Amry has now entered Chilas, Darel Valley and Bolan, looking for militants. But these operations are not part of a unified strategy. The question is: how long will government leaders only condole with bereaved families, or provinces respond locally without any clear collective response and a national security policy? The attack on the Police Lines in Balochistan will result in demoralising the law enforcing agencies, especially the police. What is worrying is the lack of resolve of national political leaders to come together and agree on what they want – to fight or to talk with the TTP? Amidst this, it must decide whether or not to take the TTP’s fig leaf of talks while holding the country hostage. The government must now decide – once and for all – what is to be done.