NAP update
Typical of the interior minister to defend the Supreme Court’s rebuke regarding the National Action Plan (NAP) – ‘plan of inaction, eyewash, etc – with Zarb-e-Azb’s achievements. He did, however, admit ‘internal and external pressures’ when it came to madrassas, refugees and financial lifelines of terrorists, not realising that it was precisely these ‘pressures’ that mandated NAP. The Court’s question mark is an apt reflection of growing national sentiment; what is to become of the operation when bombs and bullets in Waziristan need to make way for more intel-intensive operations in urban areas?
In this regard, particularly, NAP never got off the ground. Ch Nisar blamed the paralysis, in part, to the lack of integration between various ministries, agencies and departments. And while no single ministry can be blamed, it is still the government’s responsibility to ensure all organs run smoothly, especially in times of war. The government is clearly toothless about confronting the madrassas, which means that the radical narrative will continue spreading, and not much, apparently, can be done to choke off their funding completely. It is also becoming increasingly clear that militant outfits housed in Punjab and Sindh – long time establishment proxies – might not come as completely under the axe as was expected, especially after the passions stirred by the Peshawar massacre. If Ch Nisar counts this as success, he will find few people sharing his views.
And, significantly, it’s not just NAP that leaves a little something to be desired. From repatriating displaced persons to seminary-linked militants in big cities to the security deal with Afghanistan, there is reason to fear a slide for the worse. There is still no final call on IDPs, radial militant networks continue to be active across main cities, and the landmark intelligence sharing deal with Kabul is in danger of rolling back. Having achieved a good start from Zarb-e-Azb, it is important to consolidate. But Islamabad seems bent upon complacency. Unless it gets its act together, the war will spiral out of control. And NAP will be an essential counterinsurgency policy tool.
