A House divided

PTI’s misconceptions about TTP

The PTI is still a new kid on the block, hostility and derision come along with this naturally. However, where the whole thing takes an ironic turn is that despite being sympathetic with the Taliban, Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), has sort of become a target for them, particularly its leaders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) where PTI is in government. In a suicide bombing the other day, PTI lost Imran Khan Mohmand, an MPA, among a total of 34 killed during the attack, with at least 25 more injured.

The killing of second PTI MPA in the same province is not only a shameful act, one that should be condemned, but also brings forth the mindset of the terrorists who the PTI is so insistent on giving a leeway. That the attack happened on the same day Imran Khan, PTI chief, took oath as an MNA, is a clear indication of what the extremists think of PTI, or any political party for that matter: they reject all political solutions outright; peace is not what they want; they want to dominate the country with their violent methods. It is ironic that Imran Khan in his maiden speech in the House alluded to the idea that the terrorists would have no reason to cause this violence and mayhem had the government not aligned with the US in its war on terror. His misconception that the terrorists were only responding back with terror because of drone attacks or because of government’s aligning with the US, is actually what it is: a misconception. He needs to understand that the TTP and its affiliates have even nefarious agenda. That they want to impose their primitive system, based on flawed understanding of Islam and a misogynic interpretation of Shariah, on Pakistan through violence is reason enough not to believe that they are innocent, or they are fighting for a righteous cause.

The country, fresh out of elections, hasn’t yet shaken off all the problems that are nabbing at its very core. The new governments, mainly in Balochistan and KP, need to work with the federal government to devise a strategy to tackle the issue of terrorism that has brought the country to a point where choosing one path has become imperative. A divided approach, with provincial and federal governments supporting different paths to handle the issue, won’t work. Lincoln’s statement that ‘a house divided against itself cannot stand’ fits the situation. It is time to devise an out of the box solution to put an end to the senseless killings by the TTP.