NACTA the need of the hour
Political exigencies stood in the way of the PML-N government when it came to implementing the most vital points of the National Action Plan (NAP). Banned outfits were not stopped from operating under different names and seminaries were not registered and regulated as the government did not want to alienate religious parties. This provided an opportunity to terrorist networks to regroup and initiate a fresh offensive. A day after the launch of the army’s ‘Operation Radd-ul-Fasad’ across the country, Lahore reeled under a second blast which killed at least nine. The Operation which is billed as a continuation of the NAP is therefore timely.
It is encouraging that the Pakistan army, navy, air force, and various security and law enforcing agencies are to actively participate in and ‘intimately support’ the armed forces’ efforts to eliminate the menace of terrorism . The navy will be of use in the coastal areas while the air force and army would be needed to eliminate terrorists that might still be hiding in mountainous areas or concentrating themselves in places.
The most crucial fight against terrorism however is to be fought in the realm of thinking. The battle here cannot be won with the help of troops and weapons but through education and propaganda. Unless the extremist mindset is replaced by a tolerant worldview, the terrorist networks will continue to get fresh recruits from both seminaries and English medium schools. Extremism expresses itself in hatred against religions and sects other than one’s own and in considering individuals, groups or countries one differs with as enemies. To make society tolerant, bold action has to be taken against seminaries preaching sectarian or religious hatred. Also to thoroughly revise the curriculum taught in mainstream schools. Had the NAP been fully implemented a beginning would have been made in the direction.
Intelligence agencies will have to play the most crucial role in dismantling terrorism. NACTA, which has been neglected too long, needs to be urgently activated. It must be able to penetrate the terrorist networks to get actionable information to stop the terrorist attacks before they take place.
