Essay:Terrorism in Pakistan: Causes & Remedies
By
Muhammad Irshad
The Dialogue Volume VI Number 3

In the immediate aftermath of American invasion of Afghanistan in
2001, Al-Qaeda and Afghan Taliban sought refuge in Pakistani tribal belt
due to the porous nature of the international border and started
organizing their resistance to US forces in Afghanistan from safe
sanctuaries. Socio-economic and politico-religious complexion of the
tribal region also favored these militants. At the same time, many
criminal groups also started operating in these areas, which remained at
large after looting, robbing, kidnapping and even killing people. These
structural flaws created space for Taliban who were offering parallel
security and judicial systems to the people by establishing parallel
“courts” in almost all parts of FATA and some areas of settled districts in
Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. Tribal people in FATA remained deprived of their
political rights. The sense of political deprivation and lack of
participation has also created the feeling among the tribal people that
they do not have a stake in the state and has resulted in a weak state-
society relationship. The militant threat to Pakistan has a well-defined
ideological inspiration and logistic support from international terrorist
groups to achieve their target which include:
• To destabilize state’s security apparatus so that people
should look towards the militants for protection.
• To force the government not to interfere in militant-
controlled areas so that they can continue their activities
unhindered.
• To force the government to bring a new system according to
the militants’ agenda.

Religiously motivated terrorism is considered the most alarming terrorist
threat today.
Groups that justify their violence on Islamic grounds – Al
Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah – come to mind first. But Christianity,
Judaism, Hinduism and other religions have also given rise to their own
forms of militant extremism.
Some of the militant groups have sectarian agendas especially
against Shias and Sufi orders. They are also well connected with global
terrorist groups, like Al Qaeda, which have even more dangerous
agendas of destabilizing or toppling the government to capture territory.
Until 2004, the main focus of Pakistani militants was on protecting
foreign militants, recruiting for the war in Afghanistan, training them,
and securing their position against security operations.

Under Estimating the Problem
When an insurgency starts taking shape, states fail to assess the potential
of the threat correctly and try to ignore it or misjudge the problem. That Terrorism in Pakistan: Causes & Remedies
Muhammad Irshad∗



Abstract

As is known, for centuries, various acts of terrorism have been
carried out in different parts of the world by different groups
for a variety of purposes. Sometimes a communist
organization, sometimes a fascist group, and sometimes
radical and separatist factions assume responsibility for these
acts. The nature of terrorism changes with changing world
conditions and increases its impact and power with the new
means made possible by developing technology. Terrorism is
the cruelest of crimes. The universal revulsion at the events of
September 2001, the "War on Terror" has magnified many
folds the global threat of terrorism.


Keywords: Terrorism, War on Terror, Pakistan


Retrospective View

This early history of terrorism throws some light on the present crisis and
the “war” against terrorism. The growing of “non-state” terror is an old
phenomenon lately discovered. International terrorism became a
prominent tool of political agenda in the late 1960s.
It was applied by
Palestinians for the attainment of their legitimate political rights. It was
adopted as a “weapon of the poor”. The largest act of international
terrorism occurred on September 11, 2001 in a set of coordinated attacks
on the United States. The United States has made the "War on
Terrorism" the centerpiece of its global strategy since the attacks on
Pentagon and World Trade Center on 11 September, 2001.
It has
proclaimed its leadership of a world-wide alliance to exterminate this
scourge of terrorism. But the bombing of Afghanistan is not a revenge
for New York and Washington. It is yet another act of terror against the
people of the world. Each innocent person that is killed must be added to
the toll of civilians who died in New York and Washington. The United
States is pursuing its War on Terror without addressing its root causes
which are social, economic and political in nature and not military.
happened in the case of Pakistan also. When the movement was
emerging in the tribal areas, the state continued pretending it was not a
major issue. The militants remained resolute enough in pursuing their
strategy of ideological propagation. They had well-defined targets in
pursuance of imposition of their “Islamic code of life.” And they were
trying to convince people in the name of religion, offering temptations
and deterring them from standing by the ‘enemy’. They were not willing
to tolerate their self-perceived ‘ideological enemies’.
The political structure, the administrative bureaucracy, the police
and the armed forces are the key instruments to control an insurgency.
The militants took advantage of lack of political mainstreaming and
weak and ruthless administration in the tribal areas. The police or local
security forces like Khasadars, Levies and Frontier Constabulary
(Malisha) could not help evolve a security mechanism. The peace deals
strengthened the hands of militants and writ of the state weakened
further. Military operations resulted in the expansion of militancy and
produced a bigger pool of militants. Pakistan also used a strategy to
support some Taliban groups, such as those led by Mullah Nazir and
Hafiz Gul Bahadar in South Waziristan, to divide them but that was
based on a shaky rationale.

Geographic conditions

“Geography can weaken the strongest political regime or strengthen the
weakest one.” In the tribal areas, militants hold geographical advantages,
as they are familiar with the mountainous terrain and the climate. The
large pool of insurgents and their presence among the civilian population
makes counterinsurgency operations difficult. But counterinsurgency
becomes more complex if it erupts in the border areas and gets external
moral or political support. Pakistan has reservation over the presence of
Indian consulates in Afghanistan near the Pakistani border and the hostile
attitude of Kabul towards Islamabad.

Geo-strategic perspective and Strategic Assets

Another important and unique factor in the counterinsurgency in the
tribal areas is the geo-strategic perspective of Pakistan and neighboring
states. Before 9/11, Pakistani policy-makers considered the Taliban a
strategic asset and even after 9/11 they were reluctant to dispose of these
assets. There were many arguments and perceptions to sustain this
option:
(i) The US engagement in Afghanistan is temporary and Pakistan
needs a friendly power group in Afghanistan that can fill the
vacuum once US leaves the country. Terrorism in Pakistan: Causes & Remedies Muhammad Irshad
The Dialogue Volume VI Number 3
227
(ii) The geo-strategic importance of Pakistan can be enhanced by
maintaining strong ties with powerful Afghan militant groups
like Taliban.
(iii) The US, India, Afghanistan and other countries are selectively
supporting some Afghan militant groups to destabilize
Pakistan. The Taliban can act as counter weight to such
militant groups.

Islam and Terrorism

In the West, there is a strong perception regarding Islam as a religion
which advocates militancy. They believe, though wrongly, that Islam
does not believe in peaceful co-existence. Whereas it is fact that Islam
does not permit terrorism, Islam is a religion of mercy, kindness and
compassion.

Appraisal of Challenges and Implications

Pakistan is confronted with two broad categories of terrorism namely
internal and external which can be further classified. It is facing the twin
menaces of religious extremism and ethnic strife. In this part, we identify
critical challenges of militancy and extremism faced by Pakistan and
their implications.

Domestic Terrorism

The real threat to our security primarily comes from “within.” The
banned organizations like Tahreek-e-Taliban and Lashker-e-Jhangvi,
Mehdi Militia etc., have the means to create instability in Pakistan. The
communal/regional cards like Sindhi, Balochi, Pathan, Saraike and
Mohajir etc. seem to be dominating over the concept of nationalism
which could be the essence of our strength. Sectarian violence is also one
aspect of domestic terrorism. Areas like, Kuram, Para chinar, D.I. Khan,
tribal belt and Southern Punjab are affected by this kind of terrorism.
Suicide attacks and attacks on infrastructure, schools, banks, railway
tracks and gas pipelines etc. are some other examples of home-grown
terrorism. Many of these terrorist acts have external sponsorship either
by states or non state actors.

International or State Sponsored Terrorism

These acts have strategic significance. Attacks on such high value targets
in Pakistan as President, Prime Minister, Marriot Hotel, Sri Lankan
Cricket Team, Army GHQ, PNS Mehran Base, Police Stations, drone
attacks and FC training centers etc. come in this category. These acts are
sponsored by state agents as a tool of state policy. These activities are Terrorism in
part of a bigger game involving other regional/extra regional actors. The
prime objective of such acts is to project the victim state as a failed state
and on the verge of collapse.

Ethnic Terrorism

Ethnicity is deeply rooted in Pakistani society which has already once
caused disintegration of the country. Recently, ethnicity emerged again
in the Sindh province where Urdu speaking community clashed with
other ethnic communities on linguistic divide. This ethnic terrorism took
hold of Karachi and Hyderabad in late 80s & 90s decade. However due
economic rejuvenated activity and ethnic group mainstreaming the same
was collapsed for the time being.

Separatist Terrorism

Pakistan has experienced separatist terrorism in the past in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and the same is still going on in
Balochistan currently. The province of Balochistan has experienced
intermittent gorilla war since last many decades. The terrorist threat
posed by these armed insurgents is of separatist nature. It is the unsolved
ethno-nationalist conflict between the separatists and the government that
is fueling the militancy. The insurgents comprising of tribal militants
have carried out acts of terrorism against state infrastructure and resorted
to target killing to advance their agenda. The militants have active
support from foreign elements. The Indian involvement in fueling
separatist movement in Balochistan through its consulates in Afghanistan
has been an open secret.


Nationalist Threat

The nationalist are the sub nationals within the organizations that fight
for recognition and a proper identification within the federation, and their
struggle is motivated by the fears and apprehensions of pre-dominant
role of other ethnic groups or nationalities within the federation. In
Pakistan, Punjab is the most populated province and as such Punjabis
form a large part in military and civil bureaucracy. The smaller provinces
are frustrated by the prospects of facing permanently the majority of one
province. They always feel threatened that their economic, social and
cultural interests will not be protected in the wake of control of one
majority province. They also feel that their local resources are being used
by other regions and they are not paid the right price. The lack of
development and poverty frustrates the population and external hands
exploit the situation to inculcate a sense of deprivation and fuel violent
insurgency. The ruling elite consider these nationalist movements as a Terrorism in
kind of revolt against the centre and the rejection of federation. The sub-
nationalist’s terrorism has been emerging intermittently in smaller
provinces of Pakistan since 1960s and often has external backing. So far,
the state has withstood the ethnic and sub nationalist terrorism
reasonably. However, it is extremely important that legitimate fears of
smaller sub nationalities are seriously addressed so that the very reasons
of such feeling of marginalization are eliminated for good.

Religious Extremism and Sectarian Terrorism

Religious extremism is responsible for creating division on religious
grounds and is responsible for violence against followers of other
religions. The communal violence in Gojra in August 2009 is the
example of religious extremism. It’s most lethal form is the sectarian
violence that originates from intolerant view of a particular sect for
anyone not following their brand of religion. The origins of sectarian
violence can be traced back to Afghan Jihad when hard line mullahs and
their seminaries got official patronage from Pakistan, USA, Saudi Arabia
and other allies during the Afghan war of 1980’s to produce
indoctrinated fighters against Soviet Union. Today, sectarian terrorism is
a major form of terrorist threat facing Pakistan. The sectarian violence in
Pakistan has been mainly divided along Shia and Sunni lines and
currently an increase in the frequency and lethality of the sectarian
violence have been noticed. During early years, both sects co-existed
peacefully but the Afghan Jihad polarized the Mujahideen along
sectarian lines with spillover effects in Pakistan resulting in killings of
Shias and Sunnis in sectarian clashes. The banned organizations like
Sipahe Sihabah and Sipahe Muhammad have been responsible for most
of the sectarian violence. The sectarian terrorism poses an internal
security threat to the country. So far, the people of Pakistan have refused
to get divided on sectarian lines and the violence remained restricted to
the fanatics and the extremists with the vast majority remaining
detached, unsympathetic and rather antagonist to this approach.
However, the sectarian issue has the potential of creating serious social
and security threat in case extremists are able to incite sectarian
sentiments as they did in Iraq.

Jihadi Terrorism

Jihadi terrorism with a global agenda is real threat to Pakistan national
security. This phenomenon took shape with Soviet invasion of
Afghanistan in late 1970s. After the withdrawal of Soviet Union from
Afghanistan, this armed struggle against foreign occupation degenerated
into a sort of civil war which continued well into the 21st century. This Terrorism in
political instability in Afghanistan provided a breeding ground for
numerous self styled Jihadi groups.
The 9/11 terrorist attacks and subsequent US invasion of
Afghanistan provided the Jihadis with an attractive “Cause”. When
Pakistan joined the US led coalition against “War on Terror”, the so
called Jihadis turned their guns more towards Pakistan than the coalition
forces in Afghanistan. Pakistan became their strategic focal point as they
regarded Pakistan as the main obstacle in their jihad against occupation
forces in Afghanistan. The militants resorted to the most brutal and
gruesome acts of violence. They put the very existences of the state in
danger. Pakistan was considered the most dangerous country in the
world. Militants’ capacity to hit any target anywhere in Pakistan became
a common conviction. Their capacity to resist security forces proved to
be much greater than expected. The march of Jihadi terrorism towards
Pakistan refueled the sectarian terrorism as well. These combinations of
Jihadi terrorism are threatening Pakistan national security from both
sides external and internal. Military force has not been effective against
these terrorists so far but granting concessions would also not bring the
desired results as experienced so far.

Islamic Militancy

Islamic militancy is one of the dreaded challenges Pakistan faces today.
In province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Tribal belt the militant operates its
challenge. The mountainous and difficult territories of this area are like
to be a dreamland for militant organizations. People with this mindset
have their own point of view and want to implement it first in Pakistan
and then elsewhere. This is a distorted, tribalistic, ritualistic and dark
version of Islam with no light of tolerance, peaceful co-existence, human
rights and finer things of life.
Indigenous and foreign mercenaries have also started using
religion as a tool. The barbarian acts of these mercenaries in Swat and
adjoining areas are in diametric contrast to Islam, Pushtonism and
Nationalism. They follow money line and serve their foreign masters.
They also try to take advantage of situation to settle personal scores and
gain advantages from deteriorating law and order.

Pakistani Taliban

Pakistani Taliban emerged and came to lime light in the aftermath of US
invasion in Afghanistan. They joined hands with the fleeing Al-Qaeda
and Afghan Taliban and made an alliance with them. The tribal agencies
(FATA) between Afghanistan and Pakistan are considered to be the hub
of Pakistani Taliban. They want, in conjunction with Afghan Taliban and Terrorism in
Al-Qaeda, to use this tribal belt as their base of operations against US
interests in Afghanistan and elsewhere. So far, they have proved hard nut
to crack. They have survived numerous military operations. They are
hardcore militants and are ready to kill and be killed any time. They have
dozens of suicide bombers at their service to wreck havoc any time. They
have paralyzed the writ of the state of Pakistan and run parallel
administration.

Factors Responsible for Growing Militancy

Issues like poverty, unemployment, lack of health related facilities,
illiteracy and lack of justice are considered to be some of the major
causes of militancy in Pakistan and elsewhere. Education and health are
the most neglected sectors as Pakistan spends only 1.8 percent of its
GDP on education while Cuba spends 18.7 percent of its GDP on
education. In Pakistan, 40% percent population lives on or below the
poverty line while the figure goes up to 45 percent in under-developed
regions especially FATA.
According to a World Food Program study,
around 89 of Pakistan’s 112 districts are facing many problems including
food insecurity and diseases.
The diminishing public expenditures on education and health
have forced a sizable population to seek the services of Islamic charities
for their basic needs which make them extremely vulnerable to the
various forms of vicious terrorist propaganda. Internally, Pakistan’s
complex socio-cultural makeup presents a conducive environment for
ethnic and religious/sectarian polarization greatly eroding national
cohesion, where each group enjoys trans-national affiliations and
sponsorship to flex its muscle at home. During the last two decades, over
4000 people have been killed in religious/sectarian polarization
conflicts.

Due to the slow moving judicial system, anti-state forces feel
encouraged to undermine the writ of the government. Similarly, Pakistan
inherited a weak political structure. The problem was further
compounded when Pakistan’s founding father died before a political
structure could get some maturity. In the absence of mature/visionary
leadership after the Quaid’s death, Pakistani nation lost their true
direction. Inefficient and highly corrupt successive administrations
ruined the basic foundations of the country. All these factors have led to
polarization of the society and consequent deterioration of state’s
institutions which created the vacuum in which terrorism flourishes. In
the absence of national cohesion, anti state elements in connivance with
foreign hands continue to encourage and promote separatist movements.
The role of unresolved political issue such as Kashmir, Palestine and Terrorism in
Afghanistan in fostering instability/militancy in Pakistan cannot be over
looked. These unresolved political disputes provide a potent “cause” to
the multitude of Muslim masses throughout the world. An amicable
settlement of these disputes would deprive the militants of the rationale
of their activities.

Implications for Pakistan

The War on Terror has had colossal and far reaching implications for
Pakistan in numerous ways. Pakistan has suffered and continues to suffer
socially, economically, politically and militarily. The ongoing War on
Terror has cost Pakistan dearly in terms of social disruption and
upheaval. Millions of people have been displaced by the ongoing
operation in Swat. This number is much higher than that of Afghan
refugees affected by Soviet invasion in 1979.
Similarly almost half a million people have been internally
displaced from FATA as a result of the same drive. This refugees’ influx
has added many administrative and social problems, and has caused huge
damage to our social fabric. US drone attacks are turning angry youth
from the targeted areas into terrorists and provoking them to take
revenge from US frontline ally Pakistan for their losses of both human
and material. Likewise, it provides an opportunity to anti-Pakistan forces
(Like TTP) to cash their preaching of hatred against US and its front line
ally, Pakistan. As results of these drone attacks more than 2283
Pakistanis have been killed whereas only 222 Al-Qaeda operatives are
‘allegedly’ killed up to September 2010.

The direct operation of US

against Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin laden in Abbottabad, without taking
prior permission from Pakistan highly damaged the reputation of
Pakistan in international level as well as domestic level.

Year -No. of Drone Strikes------Taliban Killed -------Civilians Killed
2004 1 --------------------------- 3---------------------- 5
2005 2 --------------------------- 3 ---------------------- 7
2006 2 --------------------------- 9 --------------------- 23
2007 4 --------------------------12--------------------- 77
2008 33 ------------------------- 48 --------------------313
2009 53 ------------------------- 61 -------------------- 724
2010 118 -----------------------78 --------------------- 993
2011 21 -------------------------- 8 ---------------------141
Total 234 -----------------------222 -----------------2, 283

Worst effect of this war is a clear division of Pakistani society into two
extremes. On the one hand we have people who think that religious
parties and institutes are just producing extremists and militants who are
a direct threat to the existence of Pakistan. The other faction of masses
believes that USA is waging a war against Islam. This division is
breaking social fabric of Pakistani society once made up of traits like
tolerance, hospitality and fair treatment.
According to the Pak-US Business Council Report (2009), our
economy has so far suffered directly or indirectly a huge loss of $35
billion (official figure is just the double of it. i.e. $70 billion).
Due to
widespread unrest and political uncertainty in Afghanistan, large
quantities of our food items/commodities are smuggled to Afghanistan,
which ultimately leads to acute food grain scarcity within our country.
According to Pakistan’s Finance Ministry, Pakistan suffered directly or
indirectly loss of Rs 2080 billion in the war against terror from 2004-05
to 2008-09 which badly affected the country’s socio-economic
development.
According to the Finance Ministry, Pakistan’s participation in
the anti-terrorism campaign has led to massive unemployment in the
affected regions which has ultimately increased rural poverty. It has
reached 37.5 percent from 23.9 percent in 2007-08.
Frequent bombings,
deteriorating law and order situation and displacement of the local
population, have taken a huge toll on the socio-economic fabric of the
country.
Pakistan is also paying a heavy political price in the shape of
weakened federation as a result of prolonged militancy. Our decision to
join US War on Terror has created a gap between Military and People
which is also dangerous for the overall morale of the nation. Pakistan
Army traditionally enjoyed good relations and a high image with
Pakistani masses but War on Terror has shaken faith of Pakistani masses
in their Armed Forces. Our Armed forces are caught in a dilemma.
According to pro-Taliban section of people, Pakistan Army is fighting a
war of US and according to pro-US section, Pakistan Army is the biggest
hurdle in the way of eliminating terrorism and supporting militants in
Afghanistan. Rise in militancy as a result of War on Terror has provided
an opportunity to the US, India and west to declare Pakistan a militant
and a failed state.

Remedial Measure

In the preceding paragraphs, various militant and extremist threats to the
state of Pakistan were discussed. These threats are neither from a single
source or organization nor are they a result of single factor. In order to Terrorism in
effectively counter these threats, the strategy to be evolved must deal
with the root causes. There is no single solution or magic bullet that can
fix all the problems but approach has to be multi-pronged. Prior to
suggesting remedial measure for it, let us again take a look at main
reasons that force people to resort to violence.

Root Causes of Militancy and Extremism

Young people embrace militancy due to multiple factors. These factors
could be local as well as global in nature. Significant factors fueling
militancy and extremism in Pakistan include spill over from Afghanistan,
resentment to War on Terror, poor law and order situation, justice denied
or delayed, short cut culture, lack of education, poverty (lack of food,
shelter), corruption and nepotism, absence of nation building, broken
family bonds, breakdown of civic facilities, external actors – both state
and non state, religious seminaries and sectarianism, obscurantist
ideologies, and feudal culture. Removal of these thorny issues is a
prerequisite for eradicating the fertile breeding grounds that provide
recruits for militancy.

Peace in Afghanistan

Peace in Afghanistan is a pre-requisite for curbing terrorism in Pakistan.
Instability in Afghanistan has a direct bearing on Pakistan. But peace is
not achievable in Afghanistan so long as US forces are deployed there.
US presence in Afghanistan provides an attractive “cause” for terrorist
organizations to maintain their existence. Peace in Afghanistan will pay
enormous dividend for Pakistan. It can benefit economically from the
reconstruction of Afghanistan. A stable and peaceful Afghanistan can
help remove thorns in the relations between Pakistan and its neighbors
and open up communication links with resource rich Central Asian
states. However, peace in Afghanistan will not be easy to achieve in
isolation given its status as proxy for global and regional powers.

Logical End to War on Terror

It is a common perception in Pakistan that the present day challenges
facing Pakistan are due to wrong decision of Government to fight
American War on Terror. On the other hand, many people feel that the
time has finally come for a show down with the militants. This has led to
a confused and divided nation that is still pondering on the question
whether this is Pakistan’s war or not. This is certainly the most crucial
question that has been muddied by the personal interest of various stake
holders. If this is Pakistan’s war then the entire nation must fight it.
Otherwise, a way out has to be found that avoids direct confrontation Terrorism in
with United States. The most important strategy to deal with the issue of
War on Terror is to create a national consensus on the issue.
The right course seems to be an engagement both with the
United States as well as the militants. Pakistan has to carefully play its
cards using the leverage it has in helping America in its War on Terror in
Afghanistan. Instead of siding squarely with one party, Pakistan needs to
carefully disengage itself. It should explain its bottom lines to both sides
of the conflict in Afghanistan. It will have to convince both sides that a
buffer Pakistan is to the advantage of both belligerent parties. The United
States should also be made aware that compliance to its agenda would
quickly erode public support of the democratically elected government.
Pakistan can help the United States but not at the cost of compromising
its national interests and interest of both countries have to be taken into
account. The success of any military operation in tribal area cannot occur
without taking tribal population on board and this may need engagement
with extremists to alleviate genuine grievances.

Active Foreign Policy

The militancy prevalent in Pakistan has both local as well as global
dimension. Many of the local militant groups derive financial, logistic
and training support from across the borders. This is evident from the
types of weapons and resistance offered by these groups to the security
forces. It is a widely known fact that no militancy stands a chance against
the resources of a state without active help from other state(s). The
obvious beneficiaries of supporting militancy in Pakistan are our arch
enemies like India and Israel. We must obtain irrefutable evidence of
external involvement and then use available diplomatic opportunities to
force these states to abandon their support of militants. Opponent must
be made to realize that mercenaries are loyal to the highest bidder and
tomorrow these mercenaries might come back to haunt today’s masters.
A regional or trans-regional alliance states may be proposed to create a
balance of power in the region. Only an active and forceful foreign
policy can effectively build and win the case for Pakistan on
International forum.

Improving Intelligence

An effective strategy to counter militant and extremist groups hinges on
the capability to gain timely and accurate intelligence. The small terrorist
cells embedded in local population are difficult to locate and disrupt
without an effective intelligence network. This will include strengthening
local intelligence agencies in terms of organization, equipment, training
and coordination. The intelligence agencies must be made fully free of Terrorism in
outside interference while making these accountable to the elected
leadership. Only competent and clearly mandated intelligence
community can shoulder its responsibility towards getting nation rid of
the menace of militancy.

Dealing with Militancy in Tribal Belt

A coherent strategy, listing force as a last resort, should be evolved to
deal with militants. The foreign elements cannot stay in the local
population unless people are discontent with the government and are
sufficiently motivated to support the foreign elements against the state.
Therefore, local population must be taken on board to counter the threat
posed by such insurgents. Local tribesmen should be encouraged to stand
up to the foreign elements and fight alongside the security forces. The
military operations must be precise and avoid collateral damage. The
rehabilitation of militants captured during these operations must be given
due consideration. It may be emphasized that the ground offensive by
security forces against Islamic militants resulted in heavy civilian
casualty and internal displacement but it has been unable to kill or
capture the top leadership of Taliban .

Enhancing Competence of Security Forces

The current militant threats are new to security forces as they are trained
to deal with more conventional threats. They need to be equipped with
new tools, equipment and training to discharge their duties effectively.
The same has been highlighted by high loss of lives suffered by security
forces in their counter insurgency operations. The attack on Sri Lankan
cricket team in Lahore and the failure of security personnel to offer any
significant resistance to attackers speaks of their total lack of competence
in dealing with terrorist threats. The culture of superfluous satisfactory
readiness has to be replaced with a more realistic evaluation and critical
deficiencies have to be addressed on priority. Material and training
support from advanced nations may also be sought to develop the
capacity for identifying and fighting terrorist threats especially in urban
areas.

Effective use of Media

An essential element of developing public opinion is use of the media.
Media can be used to educate and bring people on board about
challenges facing the country and the plan to counter them.
Unfortunately, our present media coverage is geared towards being the
first to bring out any new story without due regard to its authenticity or
impact on general public. Media must resort to responsible coverage in Terrorism in
line with national interests rather than serving their immediate business
interests. The soft corner for militancy amongst general public can only
be eliminated by a well-organized media effort that brings out the
atrocities committed by the militants.

Economic Recovery and Poverty Alleviation

Economic and social inequality is one of the key factors influencing
recruitment into militant organizations. Economic disparity is the main
reason for discontentment among people and an opportunity to the
terrorists to enlist unemployed through lavish funding. Many studies
suggest strong correlation between militancy and inequality.
The only
way to alleviate poverty is through economic recovery. Economic
recovery plan be given top priority, especially in the underdeveloped
regions of the country. Any such plan has to focus on revival of industry
to generate economic activity and jobs. The foreign donors may be
approached for funding of grass root level and pragmatic economic
development programs. FATA is amongst the poorest and neglected
areas of Pakistan with per capita income half of the national average.
More than 60 percent of its inhabitants live below national poverty line.
Education is uncommon with only 17% male and 3 percent female
literacy rate.

Revamping Education System

Education plays a key role in developing responsible and tolerant
citizens. Starting from elementary to graduate education, emphasis must
be laid on imparting civic sense. The syllabi must be revised to increase
emphasis on subjects like social studies, arts, sports, athletics etc, that
teach courteousness, teamwork and tolerance. Disparities in the
education system need be addressed. Pakistan has a large chunk of
population that needs to be transformed into an educated group of
citizens with wide variety of vocational skills. This can be done by
pumping more money into education sector for greater number of quality
schools within the easy reach of population. The greater number of
affordable and quality public schools will reduce the input to dubious
institutes where extremists can teach them their obscurantist ideologies.

Streamlining Madrassa Culture

Madrassa forms an important part of our social set up. Initially,
Madrassas were established to provide free religious education to under
privileged. While nothing is wrong with the traditional objective of
imparting religious education, the use of this system by extremists to
advance their obscurantist agenda has muddied the water. It is essential Terrorism in
that government thoroughly scrutinizes the set up of these Madrassas and
brings them under the supervisory control of the Religious Scholars
Council. The syllabi of Madrassas also need comprehensive revision so
that students are not only taught correct religious concepts but also get
modern scientific and vocational knowledge that offers their graduates a
chance to be absorbed into the society.

Conflict Management System Revival

On the grass root level, the petty issues and disputes of the people must
be solved quickly and amicably. Traditionally, such disputes had been
solved through gathering of elders. Breakdown of such local forums has
increased intolerance and violence in society. Government may
therefore, revisit the revival of Punchayat, Jirgas and local councils so
that minor disputes may be settled locally and cordially.

Administration of Speedy and Affordable Justice

Justice delayed is justice denied. The necessity of speedy and affordable
justice in any society is beyond any doubt. According to a news report,
as many as 14,607 under trial prisoner were sent back to prison, without
being produced in front of a judge, in the city of Karachi in July 2009.
Only 5223 cases were heard by 132 trial courts of the 5 districts of
Karachi.
This type of judicial performance has resulted in complete loss
of faith of general public in courts. As a result, the Taliban like speedy
justice system attracts public support and erodes writ of the state.
Therefore, whole judicial system needs to be reviewed to ensure that
people have access to judicial institutions that dispense speedy justice.

Revival of Civic Facilities

Civic facilities like clean drinking water, sewerage, gas, electricity,
education, health, roads, etc are the responsibilities of the state and
reflect the health of a society. However, presently most of these are
either nonexistent or severely limited in quality and availability. The
electric power crisis has adversely affected every aspect of individual
and national life. Similarly, the recent sugar crisis just before the start of
holy month of Ramazan speaks of poor governance and indifferent
attitude of rulers towards masses. The cumulative impact of the lack of
basic civic facility is a discontented and irritated society that is quickly
losing faith in government institutions. In order to reverse this trend,
immediate and visible efforts are required on the part of government to
provide housing, water, sewerage, and most importantly livelihood to the
citizens.

Improving Law and Order

Government has the fundamental responsibility to protect the life and
property of its citizens. However, the prevailing law and order situation
is far from desired with rampant crimes. People do not trust police and
have to hire private guards. Those who cannot afford are left at the mercy
of criminals. Kidnapping for ransom, robbery, burglary are common.
Added to this are the suicidal and bombing attacks by terrorists. The
main reason behind flight of capital and lack of foreign investment in the
country is the poor law and order situation. To exterminate the threat
from militancy, it is imperative to make political stability and law and
order a top priority.

Abrogation of VIP Culture

Although Islam teaches equality, since independence the class and feudal
system has actually strengthened in Pakistan over the years. The rural
and under developed areas are more susceptible to the establishment of
local fiefdoms and khanates where few influential hold total control over
the populace. For example, 95 percent of Balochistan is “B area” where
the local tribal sardar or chief exercises control and central government
do not have total authority.
These local landlords, politicians or tribal
chiefs have kept their own people oppressed through the use of
mercenaries and private militias. In order to break the influence of these
individuals, bold reforms are needed that ensure the people at grass root
level become master of their own destiny and enjoy the fruits of
development.

Eradicating Corruption and Nepotism

Unfortunately, the corrupt have controlled most of the business of the
state. Despite having numerous anti-corruption establishments, it is
rampant in every field of our society. The corruption and nepotism can
only be eradicated through merit based appointments and placements.
However, the situation on the ground is contrary as most of the
appointments are filled on the basis of bribe, nepotism or political
conveniences. In a symposium organized by the Federal Ombudsman
and UNDP, it was reported that police was the most corrupt organization
but its Highway Wing was least corrupt.
The reason being the highway
police was appointed on merit with proper wages.

Strengthening the Federation

The genuine grievances of provinces need to be settled immediately. An
expeditious effort must be made by government to resolve issues faced
by provinces. The unrest in Balochistan needs immediate attention and Terrorism in

The Dialogue

constitutional amendments may be considered to grant greater autonomy
to the provinces. Actions like judicious distribution of resources through
National Finance Commission (NFC) award, higher royalty and
increased development fund are likely to reduce the sense of economic
deprivation among smaller units of federation.

Conclusion

Once again Pakistan is at a crossroads. Militant and extremists threaten
the territorial integrity of the State. The asymmetric guerilla warfare
introduced by Afghan Jihad continues to haunt us. The government of
the day is sandwiched between conflicting pressure from the United
States and the militant extremists. The economy is in shambles and over
inflation coupled with lack of investment and the flight of capital is
destroying the fabric of our society. Rampant corruption, nepotism and
breakdown of civic facilities have held the nation hostage. Poor law and
order caused by mercenaries, criminals and extremists have taken a
heavy toll on the everyday life of innocent people. Doubts are being
raised about the capability of the security forces to meet these challenges
and even the viability of the state. Away forward has to be found despite
the enormity and complexity of the national scene. Pakistani people have
the capability to brave all odds given right and sincere guidance. The
future course has to be chartered carefully with national consensus. Time
has come to involve the people of Pakistan into the decision making that
affect their very life. The people must reject extremisms in all its forms
and work towards establishing a peaceful, tolerant, pluralistic, law
abiding, modern, progressive and corruption free society. Terrorism is a
great hurdle in our socio-economic prosperity, political stability and geo-
strategic sustainability. Development activities are on halt in these areas.
The rule of ignorance, stagnation, fanaticism, and destruction is
spreading like a wild fire especially in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
and FATA. The militancy is caused by numerous factors; hence no single
solution exists for our problems. Multiple simultaneous courses need to
be adopted and global picture must to be taken into account while
considering way forward. The local as well as external factors need be
taken care of to isolate and eliminate terrorism. On international level,
we have to engage US and our neighbors to eliminate support for
militancy in Pakistan. On national level, we have to sort out economy,
education, and civic infrastructure to facilitate a progressive and
prosperous society. The improvement of law and order and elimination
of corruption and nepotism must remain high on our priority list. At the
same time, a strict check has to be maintained on the use of religious
seminaries to breed and spread sectarianism and extremism.
The relative Terrorism in Pakistan: Causes & Remedies expediency and weight of any particular approach has to be decided
based on ground situation and impact based on accurate feedback.