The people have lost trust in
their leaders because they have repeatedly betrayed them in the name of
democracy. While democracy was sold as the remedy for all their ailments,
democracy made the lives of the lower class of society miserable. The elites
enriched themselves by using state resources and looting the national wealth but
did little to allay the sufferings of the under privileged. Widening gap between
the rich and the poor and vast difference in lifestyle of the two distinct
classes have created a gulf between the two. Justice system is pro-rich and
anti-poor which adds to the wretchedness of the poor. Deprived of justice, they
take law in their own hands to kill their tormentors. The police instead of
helping the needy fleece them and collude with the criminals. While the rich do
not care about the underprivileged, the latter hate the privileged class and
have become lawless. To give vent to their frustration and anger, the rebellious
youth within the poor class living below poverty easily get easily induced by
criminal and terror networks and give in to robberies, criminal acts and
terrorism. These adventures are also proving too costly for them. Rudderless and
bereft of hope, they have reached the breaking point.
The people of FATA who have blood relations with Afghan Pashtuns joined their
war whenever Afghanistan was invaded by foreign forces. They strongly believe
that unlike Gen Ziaul Haq who stood up to the Soviet challenge and provided full
support to the Mujahideen and won the war, Gen Musharraf buckled under US
pressure and betrayed the Muslim neighbor by granting airbases, supply routes
and intelligence to US-NATO forces in return for $10 billion and US patronage.
They do not forgive him for arresting hundreds of Mujahideen and handing them
over to USA to earn head money. They say that the security forces are fighting
America’s war and killing their own people in FATA to earn dollars and goodwill
of USA.
The banned religious extremist groups who have blood relations with Kashmiris in
Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK) and others having religious and cultural ties felt
aggrieved when they were prevented from undertaking Jihad in Kashmir since they
consider it their religious obligation to help their relatives in distress. For
too long the Muslim Kashmiris in IOK have suffered at the hands of Indian
security forces. Their life, belongings and honor are unsafe and are leading a
wretched life. The Jihadists feel that had they not been reined in from helping
the Kashmiri Mujahideen in their just struggle against the Indian occupation
forces, by now Kashmir could have been freed. They say that Musharraf stopped
them to please India and USA but at the cost of Kashmir cause and aspirations of
people of Pakistan.
They nostalgically recall Gen Ziaul Haq’s efforts to link Khalistan movement in
India with Kashmiri movement. Thousands of Kashmiris had participated in the
Afghan Jihad against Soviet forces and had learned the art of fighting guerrilla
war. Afghan, FATA and Kashmiri Mujahideen as well as Mujahideen from other
Muslim countries developed deep camaraderie and respect for each other. Mullah
Omar wanting to repay the sacrifices rendered by Kashmiris in Afghan war offered
to Gen Zia any number of Afghan Mujahideen to help them gain freedom from India.
The grand plan died its death with the death of Gen Zia in a plane crash under
mysterious circumstances. Afghans who loved him felt orphaned. Benazir regime
not only stepped back from Kashmir and Afghanistan but also provided list of
Sikh leaders involved in Khalistan movement to India which helped the latter in
crushing the most dangerous movement that had the potential to cut India to
size. Nawaz Sharif regime also paid lip service to the Kashmir struggle and got
involved in meaningless composite dialogue and then in futile track-2 diplomacy
to solve the tangle. These maneuvers helped India in gaining time and in keeping
the core issue on the backburner.
Islamic revolution in Iran and successful Afghan Jihad against the Soviets
inspired the Kashmiri youth to pick up arms and seek independence from India
which had refused to honor Nehru’s pledges and UN resolutions and Pakistan’s
overtures for a peaceful settlement of Kashmir dispute. They picked up arms in
1989 as a last option. The armed movement unnerved India and in panic it started
to pump in huge numbers of security forces into the small valley of Kashmir.
When India’s 700,000 security forces failed to quell the movement and it reached
a critical stage, the movement was given a severe blow by Gen Musharraf by
changing the Kashmir policy and suggesting out of box solution.
Azad Kashmir that acted as the operational base for the continuation of struggle
for right of self-determination of Kashmiris was winded up and Jihadi groups
providing assistance to the freedom fighters were banned and their accounts
ceased. India was allowed to fence the Line of Control (LoC) and guns deployed
along the LoC were silenced. These steps left the Kashmiri Mujahideen in IOK
high and dry with no moral or physical support from any quarters. It enabled
India to split All Parties Hurriyat Conference thereby weakening the struggle.
Geelani group not agreeing to change the original stance based on UN resolutions
was dubbed as an extremist and flexible Mirwaiz group as moderate and
reconcilable. Indian military started to crow that because of its sustained
efforts and stoppage of cross border infiltration insurgency had died down.
Musharraf got inclined to Indo-US suggestion of accepting LoC as the permanent
border and allowing free movement and trade between the two Kashmirs but
retracted his steps under severe home pressure. Despite such huge constraints
the fervor for Azadi never waned in IOK and it once again bounced back in 2008
in the form of massive unarmed protests following Amarnath land case which
paralyzed the valley. It was followed up by the teenager’s movement in which
boys as small as eight years old took part. Several hundreds died at the hands
of Indian security forces.
Unable to enter IOK because of sealing of all exit points by Pak security forces
and fully manned electronic fence by Indian forces, the Jihadi forces in
Pakistan felt highly pained over the sufferings of Kashmiris in open prison and
blamed Gen Musharraf and Pak Army. In retaliation they decided to join al-Qaeda
and TTP with whom they had old connections and to fight Pak security forces to
give vent to their Jihadi vehemence. As a consequence, all the forces that were
focused towards Afghanistan and IOK got on one page and turned their guns
inwards. Collectivization of so many well trained and motivated groups has given
added muscle to the TTP which acts as the mother hen and made the task of our
security forces that much difficult.
Patronization of western liberal secularism by Gen Musharraf regime and then by
PPP regime and promotion of obscenity through liberal media was viewed by
Islamists as an attempt to undermine Islamic values. Islamists complain that the
liberals projecting themselves as progressive, enlightened and moderate are in
reality liberal fascists and want to push out Islamists and make Pakistan
secular. To give weight to their argument they cite the fascism of liberal
parties in Karachi where 8000 innocent people were killed by their target
killers in five years. They argue as to why liberals and seculars are so
allergic to Maulvis and anything related to Islam when Pakistan is a Muslim
state and was created on the basis of Islam for the supremacy of Holy Quran and
Sunnah. Rasping attitude of the liberals against Islam and Islamists and their
love for Indian and western cultures also resulted in intensification of
religious extremism and antagonism against the government perceived as secular,
tied to the aprons of USA.
Liberals say that religious extremists and not India pose an existential threat
to Pakistan and hence must be fought tooth and nail to the very end. Full
support given by liberal political parties and liberal media to the war on
terror against TTP and its affiliates has given reason to the militant forces to
brand them as American touts. Islamists say that the war had been imposed by USA
with a view to pitch Muslims against Muslims to weaken their physical and moral
strength and then enslave them. These conflicting perceptions failed to develop
a consensus on war, one side saying it is US imposed war and the other saying it
is our war. This incongruity in approaches came in the way of formulating a
national counter terrorism policy, which impacted security forces the most.
All these factors helped the extremist forces to build perceptions and play upon
the religious sensitivities of the youth among the deprived class that see no
future for themselves under prevalent corrupt system. Drone war has further
helped TTP leaders to earn the sympathies and goodwill of the people, poison the
ears of their followers against the Army and the government and recruit larger
numbers of fighters. Without the support of the people no terror network can
survive for long. All banned groups have roots in the society and are revered by
their followers. Some have re-emerged under different names and some are
participating in elections to lend strength to the right wing. Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal
Jamaat is one example.
The case in Balochistan is different where several Baloch nationalist groups
under the patronage of foreign powers are pursuing secessionist agenda. BLA and
BRA whose leaders are in exile and BLF are sabotaging election campaign of all
political parties since elections go against their agenda. Only Akhtar Mengal
has returned from exile and is taking part in elections.
Under the gloomy circumstances, political parties led by Nawaz Sharif, Imran
Khan, Syed Munawar Hussain and Maulana Fazlur Rahman have opened a window of
opportunity and given a ray of light. They want to end the futile war and have
offered dialogue to the TTP. Imran Khan is in the lead and has shown a way out.
He says that if brought to power, he will pullback the Army deployed in FATA,
shoot down drones, put an end to war on terror and stop the degrading practice
of US slavery. He said that he would prefer death over seeking alms from other
countries.
Nawaz Sharif has once again emphasized the need to reconsider Pakistan’s support
to the US war on terror and has favored negotiations with Taliban. JUI-F chief
Fazl has repeatedly censured US interference and suggested termination of war by
talking to Taliban. JI chief Syed Munawar Hasan lashed out at the liberal
parties that they are reaping what they had sowed and suggested that liberals
siding with USA should get themselves registered as minorities. He terms MQM as
a terrorist party responsible for the destruction of peace in Karachi. These and
suchlike statements touched the right chords of the militants and not only they
accepted the offer of dialogue but also decided not to target right wing parties
during ongoing election campaign. Dialogue will help in allaying misperceptions
and until misgivings are removed the Taliban will not agree to surrender arms.
Although PML-N and PTI being conservative secular parties but leaning towards
the right do not fit into strategic framework of TTP, the duo has been spared
hoping that Nawaz or Imran would be able to checkmate ultra liberal trends and
promote Islamic trends which would pave the way for introducing SHARIAH. The
softness however seems temporary; sooner than latter a clash will occur since
both Nawaz and Imran firmly believe in constitution and democracy and do not
subscribe to extremism and violence.
Apparently two opposing camps have emerged, one led by liberals and other by
rightists. The three liberal parties, PPP, MQM and ANP that were spitting venom
against each other till the onset of election campaign have got together because
of TTP threat out of expediency. Their truce will last up to 11 May only.
Centre-right and right wing political and religious parties have failed to forge
an alliance and all are contesting elections independently. Likewise, the
religious parties like Jamaat-e-Islami, JUI (F), JUI (S) and religious groups
are also not on one page. Other than Shia-Sunni conflict, Deobandis, Barelvis
and Ahl-e-Hadith remain within their own orbits. The TTP too has cracked up.
Armed forces and higher judiciary are the only two institutions that stands
united and committed to the national cause.
War on terror and development repel each other. The war must end to put into
practice the ambitious manifestos of the competing parties aimed at ameliorating
the sufferings of the neglected segment of society and to instill hope among the
dejected youth by making Pakistan an Islamic welfare state which shuns violence,
promotes peace, tranquility and austerity, ensures equitable distribution of
wealth and opportunities and speedy justice to all. War must cease to have
secured environment and breathing space to allow the future government to
translate its promises into actions. Dialogue with militants will help in
listening to each other’s point of views, removing misperceptions and
grievances, offering incentive packages and convincing them to spurn violence
and come into the mainstream and become useful members of the society by taking
up their traditional job of defending the western border. Dialogue will also
help in segregating irreconcilable from reconcilable and eventually identifying
and isolating those toeing foreign agenda. If we can offer amnesty to the
separatists in Balochistan, why can’t we hold talks with misled tribesmen of
FATA?
by
Asif Haroon Raja
The writer is a retired Brig, defence analyst, columnist and author of books.
Email:[email protected]