The government needs to get its act together
Recent TTP reprisal attacks have called the effectiveness of the National Action Plan (NAP) into question even before it could be properly rolled out. The general impression is that while the government has been tough on talk, the on-ground situation has not changed too much since the Dec16 Peshawar tragedy.
Pakistanis are confused whether progress is slow because NAP needs time to come together, or the show of unity is giving way too familiar incompetence and corruption? It is widely acknowledged, though, that a thorough shake-up of the security machinery is needed, whether it is through successful implementation of NAP or some other measure. As TTP threatens more attacks, and the government offering little save rhetoric, there is more confusion and fear than relief or hope.
To make sense of the situation, DNA talked exclusively to Brig (r) Mahmood Shah, prominent defence and security analyst, and former head of security affairs for the tribal region.
Question: What is the status of the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP)?
Brig Mahmood Shah: NAP – agreed upon by the civilian and military leadership of the country – is a comprehensive counter-insurgency instrument, which provides the government with a concrete and foolproof strategy to flush-out terrorist and militant forces from the country. However, the situation on ground needs to be looked into as the threat of terrorism is huge and there is a dire need for the government to implement each and every point of the NAP in letter and spirit.
Since the launch of the military operation, there have been major successes on the military side. From Zarb-e-Azb to Khyber-One — all operations have been carried out successfully. Moreover, military courts have also been formed and the process of forwarding of the cases to these courts has also been initiated. Soon the courts would also start functioning.
The action taken by the military against all terrorist outfits without differentiating between good or bad Taliban has also been received well by the international community. The action and the government’s will not to allow anyone to use Pakistan’s territory against any neighbouring country has also boosted the confidence of the Afghan government in Pakistan.
The personal equation between Army Chief General Raheel Sharif and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Dr Abdullah Abdullah has also helped cement the bilateral cooperation against militant forces. Moreover, efforts and sincerity of the army chief and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have also been welcomed by ISAF and the UN. Now the US government is also preferring Pakistan over India vis-à-vis Afghanistan.
However, there is a room for improvement in governance, which is a major impediment in the fight against terrorists. The civilian government needs to play its role proactively in improving the law and order situation and the sympathisers of militant forces within the ruling party need to be shunned.
There are 294 mosques in Peshawar city where Afghan nationals are working as prayer leaders. There is a dire need for the government to send millions of these refugees back to their homes
Q: What should be the government’s biggest concern in this matter?
MS: It seems that the prime minister’s focus is more on resolution of political issues than the action against militancy. The government has yet failed to effectively monitor the role of religious seminaries, which act as nurseries for terrorism and extremism in the country. There is a need for the government to effectively increase monitoring of the madaris and bring in reforms in the madrassah system. Religious seminaries have a deep link with terrorists and action should be taken against all illegal seminaries working in the country.
Everyone knows that the madrassah system provided human resource for the Afghan jihad. The students of these madaris have never been able to be absorbed into society. After completing their religious education, either these students get involved with terrorists, or enrol in religious parties, or they get funding and increase the number of religious seminaries which act as sleepers for extremists and terrorists.
Maulvi Abdul Aziz of Red Mosque is openly challenging the writ of the state in the heart of the federal capital, while the prime minister has no courage to have him arrested. There are 180 illegal seminaries working only in the federal capital without any action from the government. There are seminaries in the capital city that openly pledge allegiance to the Islamic State, but no one dares take action.
Since the matter is of a serious nature and any mishandling may have serious repercussions, the civilian government needs to handle the matter cautiously and prudently.
The other matter which needs immediate focus is the handling of millions of Afghan refugees. Not only have many of them obtained identity cards through illegal means, they have also mixed with the local Pashtuns. They have developed family relations with locals, started businesses and have also bought property across the country. Afghan refugees are deeply involved in terrorism, street crime and the illicit business of smuggling of goods and narcotics.
There are 294 mosques in Peshawar city where Afghan nationals are working as prayer leaders. There is a dire need for the government to send millions of these refugees back to their homes. The trilateral agreement between the governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United Nations for Afghan refugees is going to expire this December. The government should not accept any request to extend it.
Recent media reports suggest that our civilian institutions have become so corrupt and incompetent that any foreigner can become a Pakistani citizen by dolling out some thousand rupees to our officials. The exposure how the known ‘Afghan girl’ Sharbat Gula obtained three identity cards from Peshawar NADRA office has shocked many in Pakistan and abroad.
But this is not something new. The international media had also reported how the courier of Osama Bin Laden, who himself was a Kuwaiti citizen, had not only obtained an identity card in Pakistan, but he had also managed to purchase land and build a castle in Abbottabad.
Q: How can governance be improved?
MS: Deterioration in civilian institutions could be gauged by the fact that despite the recent petrol crisis, the government has not yet appointed a fulltime managing director of PSO, and an officer with acting charge is looking after the affairs of this important organisation.
Political involvement in transfers and postings of the officials has badly affected the performance of civilian institutions. Police and bureaucracy have been paralysed. Corruption has hampered the performance of these institutions. Only one institution is functioning professionally today which is the military. The decay is not limited to the executive and rather the parliament has also been affected. Stories about the sale and purchase of votes for the upcoming Senate election is talk of the town now.
In order to improve governance, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would have to remove heads of all institutions who have been appointed on political basis. The state institutions, from PEMRA to NADRA, and from State Bank to PSO, need to be given autonomy in decision-making and all appointments and transfers postings need to be made merit-based. State institutions should not be working directly under the ministers, rather the cabinet’s role should only be to provide policy guidelines.
These missiles were taken to Islamabad in a regular vehicle through Bannu. Later, the same missiles were transported into the personal car of Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi and taken into Red Mosque but the security forces intercepted the car and recovered the weapons
Q: Do you think that the government has failed to take action against banned outfits like Sipah-e-Sahaba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Sipah-e-Mohammad, etc? When people like Rana Sanaullah openly promote banned outfits, do you think action against extremists and terrorists can succeed?
MS: It seems that the ruling elite has failed to understand the difference between democracy, human rights and the governance. The government need to turn Pakistan into a hard state rather than being a soft state. The US and other western states are democratic but they are hard states. They are not banana republics. The government needs to implement its laws strictly.
Due to confused political decision-making, judges, lawyers, police officials have fears and they cannot uphold the rule of law. When judges fear terrorists, how could common people stand witness in courts? The government would have to draw a line now. A vast majority of the people of Pakistan are moderate Muslims. They have stood up against terrorists and now the political leadership needs to get rid of its fears.
The government would have to have a clear cut policy vis-à-vis banned outfits’ leaders. No action could prove effective against terrorists if there are sypmathisers within the government’s ranks. Let me give you an example. When I was serving as Fata secretary, we got information that some dirty deal of long-range missiles smuggled from Afghanistan was to be finalised in Miranshah, North Waziristan.
I passed on the information to the security forces and they started monitoring. It was discovered later that around nine long range missiles had been smuggled into Miranshah and were sold to some insurgents related to the Red Mosque. Later, these missiles were taken to Islamabad in a regular vehicle through Bannu. Later, the same missiles were transported into the personal car of Maulana Abdul Rashid Ghazi and taken into Red Mosque but the security forces intercepted the car and recovered the weapons.
However, Ijaz-ul-Haq intervened and rescued Ghazi and his men. He also did not allow the police to register an FIR against the accused and the entire operation went futile. So it is necessary to purge the government ranks of such sympathisers of militant forces. If a handful of civil society activists can defy the terrorists of Red Mosque, why can’t the prime minister take action against Mulana Aziz? If he is apprehended and all evidence against him is produced in a court of law, he would be punished accordingly.
Like the civil society activists, the political parties also need to get rid of their fears now as the nation has stood up against the fanatics. The political leadership needs to become bold like the army leadership.
Moreover, let me tell you that the government should not be afraid of people like Maulvi Aziz or Fazlur Rehman as they don’t have many followers as compared to mainstream politicians like Nawaz Sharif or Imran Khan.
