Another class act
The interior ministry’s handling of the intel-intensive side of the war against terrorism has left a little something to be desired so far, to say the least. Now, as Taliban reprisal attacks are on the rise, one must question the wisdom behind making its latest findings about Lashkar e Jhangvi (LeJ) public. LeJ is now in cahoots with TTP, apparently, since al Qaeda turned them down and Fazlullah approached them himself with arms and money; or so the interior ministry would have us believe. But this is not actionable information as far as the public is concerned. Leaking such warnings – that they might indulge in kidnapping and extortion, targeting particularly the Shi’a – only serves to cause panic among the public. It would have helped the people more, however, if the government had also taken the trouble to explain why some of the N-league’s blue-eyed were openly seen campaigning with the outlawed party’s chief.
Such information is ideally passed, with the ‘for your eyes only’ tag, to select offices in concerned provinces. Then, in secrecy, intelligence based operations should be conducted to apprehend those involved in the TTP-LeJ liaison, besides ensuring protection of minority communities. Too many times there has been prior intel yet relevant forces have failed to both preempt terrorist attacks and react in time. Hopefully the ministry will handle this matter properly from here. And since LeJ has been known to exercise political influence, it is up to Ch Nisar’s ministry to investigate this trend and take appropriate remedial measures.
The government still seems in the dark about the more sensitive side of Zarb-e-Azb; that involves the part of the fight away from the bombs and bullets of North Waziristan. It could take a leaf out of the Punjab government’s book. Sharif junior seems far more serious, at least on the surface. Recent measures to track seminaries, deport foreigners, and introduce a soft cultural counter narrative are very important steps in the long war against terrorism. Finally there is a hint of an institutionalised strategy, one that caters to various aspects of counter terrorism. The provincial government must now prove that it is able to follow through on the plan. Yet even before it is put into play, it can offer much to learn to Ch Nisar.