Quetta Commission says it all
The commission singled out the interior minister, Nisar Ali Khan, for scathing criticism. By his job description he should be running the show against terrorist outfits
The day the prime minister was claiming that the back of terrorists had been broken and they were on the run, the inquiry commission on the 8 AugustQuetta carnage lambasted the government for not doing enough on this very count.
In a scathing indictment of the government and its agencies, the commission that was probing the lapses leading to the terrorist attacks on Civil Hospital Quetta. In the massacre the crème de la crème of Balochistan’s lawyers perished. The commission in its report — incidentally released on the second anniversary of the Army Public School Peshawar terrorist attack, that claimed 144 victims — lamented the utter apathy of the government in decisively moving against terrorist organisations.
The commission singled out the interior minister, Nisar Ali Khan, for scathing criticism. By his job description he should be running the show against terrorist outfits. But continuing with policy of appeasement he met Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi, the head of three banned organisations, at his favourite haunt the Punjab House on 21 October to listen to and concede to their demands.
Despite known proclivity of the interior minister for the jhadists this is shocking. As the commission points out ATA (anti terrorist act) is equally applicable to public functionaries, adding that they should not be cavorting with proclaimed members of banned organisations.
The commission also regretted the fact that the interior ministry refused to ban, on the recommendation of the Balochistan government, Jammat-ul-Ahraar and Lashker-e-Jhangvi-al-Almi, responsible for creating havoc in the province. Instead it passed the buck to the ISI by seeking its approval.
The commission that was formed by the Supreme Court has submitted its report to the CJP. Like scores of commissions formed in the past this report will also be lost in the labrynth of bureaucratic apathy without further action.
Nonetheless, claims by the just retired COAS General Raheel Sharif during his tenure, and the prime minister, that terrorism has been uprooted have been laid bare by the report. One does not have to be a rocket scientist to surmise that a lot still needs to be done to root out the scourge of terrorism.
We glibly claim that we are a victim of terrorism rather than its perpetrator. To a large extent it might be true, but not entirely so.
Not only amongst the political elite, but within our security establishment also there are those who are willing even to sleep with the enemy, sticking to their jaundiced and outmoded strategic paradigms. Is it a coincidence that bodies like NACTA (national counter terrorism authority) and NSC remain toothless without proper budgets or organisational structure?
The Quetta Commission asks a vey pertinent question: it was illogical for NACTA to seek verification from the ISI to ascertain that the two (terrorist) organisations had carried out the attacks particularly when they had already claimed responsibility for the carnage.
General elections at the most are less than one and half years away. This is the time to make underhand deals and alliances in Punjab to thwart the possible onslaught of the PTI. Hence political will to nab homegrown terrorists in Punjab will be further weakened
It is obvious that our civilian counter terrorism apparatus looks towards the ISI before moving even against banned terrorist networks. It is another matter that our political leadership continues with its self serving approach towards such outfits for transient political gains and being hostage to their misplaced ideological moorings.
General elections at the most are less than one and half years away. This is the time to make underhand deals and alliances in Punjab to thwart the possible onslaught of the PTI. Hence political will to nab homegrown terrorists in Punjab will be further weakened.
Sharif keeps on reiterating that the terrorists’ back has been broken. But not only the world at large, our own independent judicial bodies also view things differently.
Admittedly terrorism incidents in terms of sheer statistics have markedly come down. But this is scant solace to those who’s near and dear ones become victims of the hate ideology perpetrated through naked violence.
Apart from domestic terrorism, militancy in the region is blamed upon Pakistan. India on this very plank has redoubled its efforts to isolate Pakistan. It has found a willing ally in the form of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
We must ponder that after taking oath the Afghan president, unlike his predecessor Hamid Karzai, offered an olive branch to Islamabad even at the expense of annoying New Delhi. What has gone wrong that now he has is a staunch ally of a recalcitrant Narendra Modi virtually speaking the same language?
Ghani spurning Pakistan’s offer of $500m development assistance at the recent Heart of Asia conference was the unkindest cut of all. Adding insult to injury the Afghan president advised Islamabad to spend the money to counter terrorists operating from its territory.
In a kneejerk manner that has become a hallmark of the government special assistant on foreign affairs Tariq Fatimi was expeditiously dispatched to Washington to touch base with the incoming Trump administration. With the president elect busy selecting his team, it was an ill-timed move to woo him even before he has set up shop.
Unfortunately such cosmetic measures in the conduct of foreign policy hardly work. Releasing a self serving transcript of the US president elect’s telephonic conversation with the prime minister flouted all diplomatic norms. But sending Fatemi on a futile mission — possibly on his own advise — is even worse.
Dealing with the Obama administration was not a walkover. But the manner in which the Trump administration in unison with a Republican dominated Congress would deal with Pakistan, the previous administration would seem like a tea party for our policy makers.
The answer to our woes lies at home and not in Foggy Bottoms, Whitehall, Kabul or New Delhi. Sharif has to walk the talk on counter terrorism efforts. Instead of looking towards the ISI for approval, the government should strengthen NACTA as well as redouble efforts to implement the national action plan (NAP) in letter and spirit.
Of course any counter terrorism plan will come to naught without the co-operation of the military. Sharif should sit down with the newly inducted army chief General Qamar Jawed Bajwa and the DG ISI Lt General Naveed Mukhtar to take the counter terrorism efforts to the next level. Of course this would also entail the military reviewing its own strategic paradigms.
On a political level not only Sharif’s own ministers should be on the same page on counter terrorism efforts, but the opposition as well. Maulana Fazl Ur Rehman an ally of the PML-N opposes any kind of regulatory mechanism for mudrassas and seminaries. He needs to be reined in.
Similarly Nisar Ali Khan should be made not to behave like the traditional bull in a china shop. Bilawal has asked for his resignation. Nonetheless if he has his own ideas about how to combat terrorism contrary to the government’s policy he should be heading some other ministry. Certainly not the interior ministry.
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