How shari’a compliant is that?
So, it turns out that the Taliban were behind the Peshawar flight attack after all. It was not celebratory marriage fire. And for those still willing to lend an ear to TTP’s commitment to shari’a, how does modifying an assault rifle, targeting an in-flight plane (attempting to blow up the fuel tank), killing people and causing damage to property serve the cause of Islam? Now that the civilian and military leadership have taken turns making it clear that all Taliban, including the Haqqanis, are fair game, it is more important than ever to be clear about the national narrative.
It needs to be made clear that the Taliban’s so called campaign for shari’a rule was mere propaganda. Having been part of its successful implementation in successive Afghan wars, they simply attempted to employ the same insurgency model on Pakistan, and failed. They are in fact mercenary militias armed and funded by Pakistan’s enemies. Not only their disregard for people’s lives, but their targeting of important civilian and military infrastructure, leaves little doubt about their true intentions.
Unfortunately, the political scene is one of confusion and confrontation. Differences between the government and opposition parties have come to the fore, largely because of the former’s mishandling of important developments. And the kind of political paralysis that is developing can end up harming the war effort in North Waziristan. The operation has just begun, and can have devastating repercussions in settled areas. There is also the IDP problem. Unless handled amicably, these concerns can become monumental problems very quickly.
Therefore, there is a need to restore sanity in the political system. It bears remembering that the enemy threatens the very survival of the state. And right now, because of military successes, it has been pushed to the ropes. The need of the hour is unity so the bigger threat is removed. The rest can be handled later.