Need of the hour
Soon after the formulation of NAP Nawaz Sharif constituted a special committee for its implementation. He volunteered to preside over it. On account of the busy schedule of the PM the arrangement turned out to be unworkable. Most of the committees formed under NAP were subsequently handed over to the interior minister. In December last year the PM appointed Ch Nisar as the all powerful point-man of NAP.
Ch Nisar was, however, not the ideal choice for the job as he displayed a soft corner for the extremists. He had insisted on holding talks with the TTP leadership which he considered patriotic and was almost in tears when Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in a drone attack. What is more Ch Nisar lacked the nerve to take on the terrorists’ urban supporters. The two factors stood in the way of a timely implementation of NAP.
For months the interior ministry failed to provide the Apex Committees a complete list of banned outfits, some of which like JeM continued to operate all along. Nisar failed to evolve an effective mechanism for the seminaries’ oversight. The interior ministry was hesitant to proceed against the transgressing seminaries like Lal Masjid. While implementing NAP there was more emphasis on form rather than spirit. It became a common practice to churn out figures of arrests under various categories. There was no feedback regarding how many of those arrested were finally sentenced. Soon the National Action Plan came to be known as No Action Plan.
The Bacha Khan University attack underlines the need for a body to strictly monitor the country’s counter terrorism efforts as well as the implementation of NAP. The original plan to constitute a special committee for the purpose under the PM failed to work for being unrealistic. The Senate through a unanimous resolution has recommended an oversight committee of parliament for the purpose. The proposal needs to be given consideration. The two houses have a number of capable legislators who can devote time to the task.
"Naa khuda hi mila naa wisale Sanam – Naa idhar ke rahe naa udhar ke rahe"! No body knows where is the Nation going. So much of controversies – so much of frustration – so much of hopelessness ! Looks like nobody trusts nobody. So much of blood-shed again and again despite of tall claims of successes. Neither the security nor the economic situation is re-assuring. Gulshan ka Khuda Haafiz !
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