Should
Sharif’s government talk with Pakistan Taliban or use military might against
them, is the burning question in Pakistan media since the two senior military officers were killed on Sept. 15th
by a remote controlled explosive device in the northwestern province of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa, where the military is fighting Al Qaeda and Taliban-led militants. “War is
continuing, it was started by the government and they will have to stop it,”
Shahidullah Shahid, the main spokesman for the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP), declared from an undisclosed location, writes Dawn correspondent on Sept.
17th. Of all the political parties’ expressions on
tv media on this issue, I find views of political analysts are widely
conflicting and varied.
The issue of
terrorism in all the four states of Pakistan is multi-dimensional. The parties involved in the terrorism are not
only Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). There is said to be 30 plus factions of
Pakistan Taliban and al-Qaeda, in addition to terrorist groups of almost all
political parties of Pakistan. Apart
from Talibans and al-Qaeda, there are Sunni and Shia factions of
Lasshkar-e-Jhangvi, Jundullah, Sipah Muhammadi, Tehrik-i-Jafaria, and so on.
Reconciliation talks with Taliban, if agreed
by both the government and TTP, will only take care of one dimension of
Terrorism in Pakistan. It does not
uproot terrorism in all the cities of Pakistan.
Sectarian, ethnic and religious killings and blood lettings of shias,
Ahmedis, and minority communities;
arson, loot, bombing and burning of settlements, mosques, churches in different
parts of Pakistan are old episodes, even when there were no Tehrik-e-Taliban and
al-Qaeda. In this scenario an agreement
of peace with Taliban will, no doubt, somewhat ease the prevailing tension,
otherwise it will spread like epidemics. Pakistan government has no options
except to talk who wants to talk and fight who wants to fight. Invitations of talk and reconciliation be first
issued by the Pakistan government to all factions of TTP, eliminating all
foreign jihadists of al-Qaeda, Afghan Taliban and other nationals.
There is
every wisdom to talk to those Taliban who are citizens of Pakistan and who commit
to live in Pakistan. Past governments
and Pakistan forces are at fault to alienate them from the overall fabric of Pakistan
after end of Soviet expulsion from Afghanistan and after joining the partnership
of United States on War on Terror. The
scope of this survey does not permit me to go in details. Those interested to
know the facts should read literatures, especially on FATA, Balochistan and
Pakhtoonkha.
As
regards drone attacks in Pakistan, I give below an excerpt from my article “Pakistan:
Today and Tomorrow” of 14th Aug. 2013. It can be seen at my websites
“Israrhasan.com” OR
“Righteous-right.blogspot.com”.
“Neither the drone attacks on Pakistan soil will cease nor the
home terror from Karachi to
North Waziristan seems to go away so long Pakistan remains committed with the United States on War on Terror and
so long the in-house al-Qaeda and
Taliban are committed to fight against the United
States. Pakistan’s thorny relation with
the United States, India, and Afghanistan
in the forthcoming days will not be an easy pill to swallow.”
Nawaz Sharif’s
current visit to New York, attending the UNO Gen. Assembly meeting and
recording Pakistan’s complaint against drone strikes and making an
understanding with Obama administration on this issue will not bring any
substantial relief to Pakistan. What
Nawaz Sharif can get at most is some adjustments in this issue but cannot get
rid of drone strikes altogether. And Taliban will not be at peace with Pakistan
government so long the drone strikes goes on targeting Taliban and al-Qaida
fighters.
ISRAR HASAN
September 28, 2013
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