Confronting terrorism
Strong public reaction to two high profile terrorist acts led to a top level meeting in Karachi. Ch Nisar subsequently announced a number of new measures which include making Karachi a safe city through documentation of the population, installation of thousands of new CCTV cameras and recruiting 20,000 policemen under army supervision to ensure that there are no political appointees. Keeping in view the terrorist threat in the country fresh ideas to deal with the phenomenon are to be welcomed. What is equally, if not more, important is to ensure that the measures already agreed upon are fully implemented. There is a widespread consensus that the National Action Plan still remains largely unimplemented. Similarly NACTA, which was the centerpiece in the government’s anti-terror policy, is yet to be fully functional.
There can be no two opinions about Operation Zarb-e-Azb having achieved important successes. These include establishment of the writ of the state in North Waziristan and a visible reduction in the frequency of terrorist attacks in the rest of the country. For this credit has to be given to the army, the Rangers and the civilian law enforcement agencies. What is equally important is to note that much needs to be done to achieve victory against terrorism. As the two incidents in Karachi indicate the terrorists continue to look for opportunities to launch attacks. They are helped by two factors. First, the failure on the part of the security agencies to eradicate their sleeper cells in big cities. Second, the failure to eliminate the terrorist centers set up on the other side of the Durand Line, which exist because Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan continue to be unfriendly.
Past successes cannot stop people from criticising those in power if they find terrorists making use of loopholes in the security system. Issuing vague alarms to provinces, which the information ministry issues from time to time, about terrorist plans are no substitute for solid and actionable information, which is possible only if NACTA is active.
Not quite. It is not all across the Durand line. So far Karachi itself is concerned, it is the local political/ethical elements responsible. The city which provides 70% of the country's revenue has been hostage to one ethical party for three decades – now it is too late to find solutions or remedial measures. If Police were to sort out the problem, the Rangers would not have come in. Politicised Police can not control the crimes. They instead become part of the crime. Recently an IG Sind Police was removed under Supreme Court of Pakistan orders for being incompetent. Increasing the number of Police may not yield the desired results. Rather the quality of the service has to be upgraded which lacks badly.
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