The enemy within

The government needs to get serious

The inquiry into the killing of the 45 Ismailis points finger at the religious extremists, four of them already in police custody. The ground realities require that the focus on religious extremists must not be shifted despite attempts from various quarters to find scapegoats to save the real enemy. Threats of agitation have been extended by the vested interest if laws were made to regulate the affairs of the seminaries. The challenge must not stop the government from implementing the decisions taken jointly by the heads of all parliamentary parties and the military leadership as they formulated the National Action Plan.

What worries many is the pusillanimity being shown by the government in the face of provocations by the extremist forces. The failure by Islamabad police to take action against those putting up provocative banners against the Information Minister is an expression of the malaise. Earlier, certain seminaries were let off the hook despite enough evidence being available about their involvement with the terrorist groups. No action was taken against the Lal Masjid students who had announced their affiliation with the IS. The government’s failure to take note of Saudi emissaries freely contacting groups inside Pakistan and encouraging them to criticise Pakistan’s stand on certain foreign policy issues could encourage other countries also to interfere in Pakistan’s internal affairs.

The long term tasks required to put an end to extremist tendencies continue to be ignored. The mainstream schools are still following the Zia era guidelines in the preparations of textbooks, inculcating hatred against other religions, sects and even countries. Children are thus being infected with misconceived notions out of sync with the existing realities. The textbooks help some of the students imbibe jihadi tendencies while others turn into split personalities.

The country has undergone immense suffering on account of the spread of extremism. Unless the government takes courage and implements the NAP fully, the sacrifices being rendered to eradicate terrorism may not achieve the aims.