To fight or not to fight

Double-mindedness could be disastrous

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and COAS Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani have both reiterated their commitment to defeat the menace of terrorism. The interior minister Ch Nisar Ali has also expressed similar views while presenting the snippets of the security policy document being prepared under his supervision. The interior minister hopes to dot the i’s and cross the t’s of his document in a week before presenting it to the heads of the parliamentary parties towards the end of this month. The proposed policy envisages a security structure comprising a rejuvenated NACTA which is to serve as focal point for internal security, a Counter Terrorism Rapid Deployment Force and a Joint Intelligence Secretariat.

What worries one is the unresolved issue of the government’s strategy to eliminate terrorism. It is still unclear whether it is going to negotiate with the militants or to fight them. Before coming to power, the PML-N leaders had criticized the government for fighting America’s war. They instead advocated a peace based on talks with the militants. The militants however are highly slippery operators. For the last full two months they have launched reckless attacks all over the country to spread panic and demoralise the LEAs. Fearing that the rising public sentiments might lead the administration to launch an all out war against them, they are again trying to divide the public opinion by throwing hints about negotiations. There is a perception that after assuming power, the PML-N leadership has evolved a more realistic view of the situation. But has it? From what Ch Nisar has said it appears that peace talks with the militants remain the administration’s first choice. However if the APC was to decide to wage a war against them, the government would carry out that policy too. In other words the PML-N leadership is yet not disabused of the notion that the TTP and its affiliates can be talked into dropping their weapons and becoming peaceful citizens. The notion centres around the erroneous concept that the destruction of schools, targeting of polio vaccination teams, blasts in public places, ethnic cleansing of the Hazaras and the almost daily attacks on LEAs are in fact a retaliation against the US invasion of Afghanistan and the drone attacks.

Both the interior minister and the COAS have underlined the importance of national consensus in winning the war on terror. The government needs to move apace to develop the consensus on how to deal with the militants. Double-mindedness could be disastrous in a state of war. There are many who believe that it is futile, even disastrous, to hold talks with those who want to achieve their aims through the use of force. If at all talks are to be conducted, the militants must not be allowed to use them to regroup and strengthen their position.