Terror strikes back…
Madrassah Reforms, persecution of elements spreading sectarian violence, de-rooting extremism from Punjab, ban on formation of armed militias in the country and many more, are the steps, on the other hand, that were to be ensured by the government but till date are missing, and seem far from implementation, not to say that the political will is missing, as the NAP received unprecedented support from all political parties, including the opposition.
Every time the dream of peace and prosperity reaches its climax, reality slaps us in the face and wakes us up to its ironically bitter and harsh existence. The recent attack on Police Training Center in Quetta is yet another set-back to our tall claims of destroying the operating capability of terrorist networks. The achievements of our armed forces and law enforcing agencies in this war against terror, no doubt, are remarkable, however, our over-confidence, at times, makes us sit back and relax, which then comes at a heavy price indeed.
The Quetta massacre left approximately 60 dead, and several hundreds injured, majority of which comprises of security personnel, since the training center, located at the sensitive Sariab Road, was housing approximately 700 cadets. The entire facility was taken on by merely three terrorists, allegedly belonging to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (Al-Almi faction). The death toll, the number of injuries, two out of three terrorists blowing themselves up, while one being shot dead by the security forces, can we refer to this as a successful take down of terrorists by the forces?
The attack and its results raise serious questions on the efficiency of security in place of such a critical institution which was simply breached by three men making it their bastion for the next four hours. Fingers also point to the effectiveness of our intelligence agencies, and the intel sharing process. Last but not the least, the state’s ability to act on intelligence reports prior to occurrence of such painful events remains full of doubts and concerns.
The reactive state and intelligence
Reacting to situations remains the order of our day. This reactive approachhas been a prime reason for the security and administrative failures we have had to bear in the past. The state, the intelligence, and the law enforcement agencies all at once wake up and come into action once a tragedy has occurred. In a war with the unseen enemy (the terrorists), we need to do more than just react, and cry over spilt milk.
Our intelligence agencies are the eyes and ears of the state in this war, and must function to their fullest to perform this rigorous role. Seeing events before they have happened must be the focus, as this is the only way to prevent them from happening. Ensuring timely sharing of intel with relevant law enforcement agencies is an utmost necessity, as through this mean, the gaps in inter-departmental coordination can be bridged.
The state, on the other hand, must refrain from politicising the intelligence agencies, and support them in the performance of their duties with timely and adequate action on the intel provided. Countless times have we heard state representatives admit that information prior to events was shared by the intelligence agencies, regardless of which the events occurred as the state failed to act and prevent their occurrence.
It is also essential here to define the jurisdictions of military and civil law enforcement agencies, as at present, the scope of both is apparently ambiguous, which puts preventing such events from happening at risk.
The only way we can win over this enemy is by adopting a pro-active approach at national level. The state, the intelligence, and the law enforcement agencies all, at large, must preempt terrorist attacks through greater coordination, and combined efforts.
NAP’s paralysis
The National Action Plan (NAP), originally meant to be a comprehensive state retaliation to terrorism and extremism, itself resulted from the state’s reaction to the horrific attack on APS, Peshawar in Dec, 2014. Under this action plan, several steps were recommended that were considered necessary for putting an end to the widespread network of terrorists, and extremist mind-set.
The government however, since the formulation of NAP, appears to be napping on the NAP, which was not the intended direction to be taken. The implementation of NAP, thus far, remains partial, and the military is to be credited for the parts too that are being implemented. Launching a grand offense against the terrorists, execution of terror convicts through the military courts are sighted as a success and their outcomes are quite visible.
Madrassah reforms, persecution of elements spreading sectarian violence, de-rooting extremism from Punjab, ban on formation of armed militias in the country and many more, are the steps, on the other hand, that were to be ensured by the government but till date are missing, and seem far from implementation, not to say that the political will is missing, as the NAP received unprecedented support from all political parties, including the opposition. All that is required is a strong resolve to act on the path chosen, failing which this disease of extremism and terrorism, that has been contained partially, might spread again. Had these steps been initiated positively by relevant authorities, incidents like attack on Police Training Center, Quetta could have definitely been avoided.
NAP provides a complete layout for eliminating targeted evils, and has the potential to deliver the desired results, provided it is acted upon in its full spirit.
The way forward… Pro-action over reaction
Well despite all odds, the good news here is that we have come a long way in curbing the menace of terrorism, and for this, we must acknowledge the efforts and sacrifices our security forces have made. There is, however, always room for improvement, and one must strive in this direction.
The only way we can win over this enemy is by adopting a pro-active approach at national level. The state, the intelligence, and the law enforcement agencies all, at large, must preempt terrorist attacks through greater coordination, and combined efforts. National policies and action plans on fighting terrorism and extremism must all be aligned with the country’s overall socio-economic and security policies.
Adapting to a reactive approach in this war has, and will continue to harm us unless we resort to pro-action, which has proven to be the best and most effective approach in preventing terror from striking.
Pro-action is, and should be the way forward for Pakistan.
