It seems Pakistan is
imploding. With the existing dichotomies of the state of Pakistan as ‘the
heartland’ vs. ‘the periphery’, conservatism vs modernism, centralization vs decentralization,
populism vs Elitism, Iran vs. Saudia, parliament vs other institutions, quest
for federalism vs quest for authoritarianism, and indigenous narrative vs alien
narrative, the federal and provincial governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan
and Sindh have put their heads together before it is too late. Here are some
suggestions that I had articulated in the forms of a piece that the daily dawn
Karachi had published on July 23 2011.
THE
complexity of the religious-militant phenomenon in Pakistan and Afghanistan can
be gauged from the fact that Talibanisation, insurgency and terrorism are
intertwined and present themselves as a seamless, organic whole.
Indeed,
it would be difficult to altogether separate all the aspects of the militancy,
which are interdependent, on-going in the two countries. From the classic
‘clear, hold and build’ paradigm of counterinsurgency to the more recent three
D’s (dialogue, development and deterrence) of counterterrorism, the governments
of Pakistan and Afghanistan have assumed a correlation between economic and
political deprivation and terrorism in their respective trouble spots. These
are more the triggers than the causes of militancy.
More
often than not, regional and other countries fail to differentiate between the
causes and triggers of militancy, and hence respond to the complex phenomenon
in a simplistic manner. This leads to more complications and further
frustration for the security establishments, the governments and victim states
in the region and beyond. The absence of a multi-pronged, comprehensive
counterinsurgency, counterterrorism and counter-militancy strategy in Pakistan
and Afghanistan clearly indicates a vague understanding of the complex
phenomenon.
A
five-pronged, comprehensive counterterrorism strategy should be considered by
the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the facilitation of the
international community. Implementing this strategy might bring about
substantial results in reversing the tide of militancy, insurgency and
terrorism in the states of the region. The five-pronged strategy is seen in the
light of the ideological (militant) discourse, and includes political,
military, economic and communication responses to the challenges. The
composition of the five-pronged strategy takes into consideration long- and
short-term measures, socio-cultural interventions, socio-economic development,
the political process and strategic initiatives.
First,
the construction of a counter-militant discourse needs to be initiated on an
urgent basis. The militant discourse is based on a unidimensional reading of
reality. Though the core of it is apparently and purportedly religious, the
discourse, in fact, focuses on socio-cultural and sociopolitical homogenization,
and excludes or rejects diversity in the social, cultural and political
domains. ‘Otherization’ is used as a tool to allow the militant discourse to
permeate the socio-cultural and sociopolitical spheres of state and society.
Human civilization at its current stage is presented as an arch enemy of
religion and the common people. Conspiracy theories with respect to the West,
India and the Jewish lobby are propounded. The spread of the militant discourse
over the past three decades owes much to the use of mosque loudspeakers, FM
radios, pamphleteering, posters, decrees, periodicals, websites and word of
mouth. Militant organizations have so far succeeded in advancing their cause as
the environment has lent itself to their ambitions, thanks to the curricula of
public schools here, the mainstream media as well as the mentality of
religio-political parties. They have managed to bring about a shift in the
concept of jihad — once regarded in the light of a struggle for spiritual
purity, and even in the use of war requiring the state’s blessings, and now
viewed as a privatized entity in conflict. For constructing a counter-militancy
discourse, the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan need to initiate consistent
and purposeful consultations with civil society organizations, the academia,
liberal democratic parties, professionals and think tanks. A movement to
initiate work at the grass-root level to promote a pluralist, democratic
discourse based on the universal concept of human dignity but tackled through
locally evolved wisdom needs to be initiated on an urgent basis. Public-school
curricula need to be revised substantially and immediately.
Second,
a political response to militancy includes a review of previous state policies
and the political inclusion of various ethnic, cultural, religious, economic
and social narratives. The social contract must be able to provide for the
masses. Social justice, good governance, transparency, equal opportunities and
the continuity of the democratic process must be ensured.
Laws
related to women and minorities should be revisited through a broader political
consensus. This will win state institutions some credibility, provide a sense
of ownership in the state to the public and isolate militant organizations.
The
process of reconciliation and meaningful dialogue may be started with those
elements belonging to militant organizations who are convinced of playing their
part within the framework of constitutional democracy. The dialogue process
should be undertaken by the elected government and elected representatives.
A plan for the purpose may be borrowed from Khan Abdul
Ghaffar Khan (Baacha Khan) who was able to apply his strategy of dialogue,
mediation and reconciliation successfully in what was then the NWFP, Fata and
Afghanistan in the first half of the 20th century. Baacha Khan constructed a
non-violent narrative, attempted to de-legitimize tribalism, adopted pluralism
and inclusion as a way of life and as a core element of the pro-people,
political struggle. He went to the doorstep of the common masses, shared their
grief, stood by them in their struggle for empowerment and built on the legacy
of collective wisdom.
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