Another litmus test for N-league
The Punjab government has announced a number of important anti-terror steps recently, especially with regard to controlling hate speech and limiting the outreach of provocative clerics using the mosque to spread religious and sectarian violence. The Punjab Sound Systems Ordinance 2015, therefore, is a long overdue step in the right direction as regards taking control of the narrative, at least on paper. CM Shahbaz Sharif has also ordered an extensive – and just as overdue – crackdown on other forms of hate material – CDs, literature, pamphlets, etc.
But the proof of the pudding lies in the eating. The N-league, both in the centre and in Punjab, has too often been too soft on the matter of taking the terrorism bull by the horns. Whatever hard steps it has taken have been in reaction to unfortunate incidents. And even though it has taken a number of initiatives following the Peshawar tragedy, its response to those who continue to spread hatred and polarise people on sectarian grounds – like the Lal Masjid in the heart of Islamabad – has been lukewarm.
Hopefully the government will need no more reminding that the ‘battle for hearts and minds’ is a crucial part of every existential war. For far too long both the government and the military have been unable to build a cohesive narrative around the war against terrorism. All the while the Taliban and their allies have cleverly leveraged religion to further their cause. There is only so much the bombs and bullets of Zarb-e-Azb can achieve in North Waziristan. The fight has finally come to the cities. And not only controlling enemy propaganda, but also proactively producing a national narrative, is of the utmost importance. Regulating the use of loudspeakers in Punjab is one small part of this lengthy exercise, but it will serve as a litmus test for the government. The chief minister will need to monitor his new committees at the district and tehsil level, which are mandated with monitoring the new anti-terror strategy minutely. Mosques just can’t be allowed to be used as springboards for sectarian/religious wars that are tearing Pakistan apart. This initiative should be turned into a law and implemented across the country.
