Some action
The raid on religious seminaries in Sukkur should mark the next phase of Zarb-e-Azb, but details are still sketchy and very limited, and sometimes contradictory, information has made its way to the press so far. Perhaps it was, as an initial report said, ‘part of an operation against terrorist activities across the country’, even though no such raids were conducted elsewhere. Or, perhaps, the Sindh government has taken the lead in finally touching the madrassas. They were, after all, an integral part of the now forgotten National Action Plan (NAP) and time and again the federal and provincial governments have been provoked into action, but always found lacking in will.
Strangely, there was no immediate reaction from the mullah-lobby proper. The usual suspects in the assemblies – who made no secret of their dislike for NAP and the 21st amendment – are either cautious or dumbfounded; most likely the former. And other madrassas in other parts have not protested either. It’s also unclear whether any arrests were made. Some say six ‘suspects’ were picked up while others, confirming the raids, spoke of nothing out of place.
There must, still, have been more to the operation. No doubt it followed some sensitive information making its way to law enforcement agencies. One wouldn’t expect the police, especially in the present day, to go checking on seminaries unless there were very solid reasons. And Sukkur is very much part of that belt in rural Sindh and Punjab where militant groups are known to roam, and perform, rather freely. It is all the more surprising that any effort to confront madrassas has begun so far in the periphery. It is now up to the federal government to own this initiative and make sure the momentum is built upon. It was only recently that the interior minister mentioned the madrassas and, owing to the government not backing the call, had to apologise not long afterwards. The public should be informed about his latest move and how much it was part of Zarb-e-Azb. Also, most importantly, they should be told what to expect ahead.