An aberrant bending
The timing of this decision is of paramount importance, as it has not only followed the recent wave of terror attacks in the country, but precedes the next general elections due to be held in next year i.e. 2018
Punjab is not a safe haven for the terrorists. The police and the anti-terrorist squads in Punjab have performed up to the mark, and have prevented the province from becoming hostage to, and bastion of, the forces of extremism, as they were driven from the tribal areas by Pakistan army as a result of operation Zarb-e-Azb. The government of Punjab, headed by Khadim-e-Aala MianShahbaz Sharif, always sounded very confident with the aforementioned statements, until Sunday (19 February 2017) when in an apex committee meeting the chief minister announced that the Punjab government would seek assistance from Rangers to curb the presence of militancy in designated areas.
The announcement came as an aberrant bending of the otherwise adamant Punjab government led by a strong headed Iron Man we call Shahbaz Sharif.
Where the Punjab government always remained reluctant to call in a neutral force to conduct operations against alleged terrorist hideouts, the decision to seek assistance of the same paramilitary force, the Rangers, now is apparently an obvious response to the recent wave of terrorist attacks across the country, including three provincial capitals during the past week claiming approximately 150 lives, and leaving several hundred injured.
The decision to call for Rangers assistance was made by the chief minister while chairing an apex committee meeting comprising Corps Commander Lahore, DG Rangers Punjab, Secretary and IG Punjab, and other senior civil and military officials. The civil and military leadership appeared to be on the same page, and were resolute to eliminating the evil of terrorism and extremism from our midst, and not allowing the banned militant outfits to use territory of Punjab for carrying out terrorist attacks elsewhere in the country. The operation will target terrorists, and their aids irrespective of any distinction, wherever found.
A letter to the federal ministry of interior affairs will be issued for deployment of rangers in designated areas across Punjab.
Better to bend than break
With the launch of operation Zarb-e-Azb, the relocation of terrorists to parts of the country other than tribal areas has remained a serious cause of concern for many security analysts, and it was speculated that Punjab might emerge as a new playing field for terrorism. In retrospect, a demand to launch an operation in Punjab, particularly the southern parts of the province, was asserted to which the government remained reluctant.
The stubbornness of Punjab government remained the order of the day despite being pressurised by the opposition parties to allow for an across the board neutral operation against certain banned outfits.
The decision by the provincial government following recent terrorist attacks to allow for an operation by the elite paramilitary force has come at the right time, as any further delays could have further strengthened the fascists. An aggressive and precise targeting of terrorist hide outs will discourage the movement of the latter from the tribal areas into Punjab in search of potential safe havens.
Lack of responsiveness on part of Punjab government to the very realterror threat would have had serious repercussions not just in political context for PML-N, but for overall national security, and our position in the war on terror.
The decision to bend than break was a much needed step.
Ready or not, here I come….
As Punjab braces itself for an operation by Rangers, it is necessary on the provincial government’s part to analyse the possible consequences and fallout that might become a challenge later on. Karachi operation and operation Zarb-e-Azb could be taken as case studies here. Where both the aforementioned operations have been landmarks in destroying terror networks, one major fallout was movement of terrorists from areas hosting these operations to other parts of the country where these terrorists would regroup themselves, gather their drained energies, find potential allies and supporters, and after some time re-launch an even more vicious version of themselves.
The same, in case of a possible operation by rangers in Punjab, could be expected. The provincial administration, particularly the provincial law enforcement agencies, must ensure that they extend their full support to called in paramilitary force, and prevent the terrorists from escaping in search of new safe havens elsewhere in the country.
At the same time, the administrations of other provinces must also be vigilant in monitoring their boundaries to avoid, and intercept, any uninvited guests.
It is imperative to keep this genie in its bottle.
An administrative or political maneuver?
Where the good intentions of the Punjab government to act against forces of extremism and terrorism in Punjab must not be doubted, and should be given due praise, one might question whether the maneuver by the iron man, CM Shahbaz Sharif, is purely administrative or political.
The timing of this decision is of paramount importance, as it has not only followed the recent wave of terror attacks in the country, but precedes the next general elections due to be held in next year i.e. 2018.
Inaction on part of PML-N government against terrorist sanctuaries could have resulted in Punjab emerging as a new breeding ground for extremist forces, which would undoubtedly be a scar on the five-year performance of the government, and definitely would provide the opposition parties with an opportunity to continue with their hue and cry over the same issue.
Whether administrative or political, whatever the case maybe, the decision to act in Punjab is a need of the time, and not to be judgmental of the provincial government’s intention to initiate the same, it is a positive step towards ensuring the security of the country and its citizens. It is essential, however, to finish what is being initiated here, something that our government and the security forces are capable of.
