Daily Times

Force multiplying in less than a decade under the most corrupt rulers in Pakistan’s history, corruption has surged to become an integral part of our daily lives. Whatever system is in place, corruption’s proceeds fuel organised crime and such funding is crucial for terrorism. The wording of the law notwithstanding, the superior judiciary must comprehend how to cope with this evil nexus funding organised crime and terrorism. How do the blatantly corrupt easily get bail before arrest at will from the higher courts? On the other hand, the recent publication of a list of mega scams submitted by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) points to belated judicial activism by the Supreme Court (SC) in a welcome move to go after the ‘untouchables’.
All transactions must be open for detailed public scrutiny in a democracy; this oversight is impossible without allowing elected local public representatives to function. Its credibility of fair-minded objective reporting and analysis badly eroded, can most of the electronic or print media allow adverse facts to appear against those entities that are paying huge amounts for their advertisements or subverting the integrity of editors, anchors and media owners? Turning democracy into a farce, this lack of accountability allows corruption to flourish. Widespread tax evasion fuels money laundering as well as manipulating and monopolising the financial markets.
The SC put in place a mechanism giving legal cover to the Rangers in Sindh in 2011. This led to the capture of a large number of target killers. When the SC’s interest inexplicably waned, the situation went from bad to worse in Karachi. Why did the SC stop its intervention? With the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) declared a black law, how did its beneficiaries keep functioning as our rulers? Consider Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Qaim Ali Shah’s recent statement decrying NAB and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) targeting corruption in his administration. Why should anyone interfere with such malfeasance being a part of life in his government? And now this chief minister is threatening to wreck the peace in Karachi by removing the Rangers if they do not stop targeting the corrupt. How does one come to terms with one’s conscience and responsibility to the citizens in failing to uphold the basic tenets of the constitution?
Militant gangs are using the cover of politics for their lucrative ‘businesses’ promoting organised crime. Terrorist groups cannot be destroyed without striking major blows at sectors funding and supporting their criminal activity. Profit and greed have replaced ideology as the main motivation for some terrorist groups. Huge funds derived from corruption are being channelled into three concentric spheres supporting terrorism. Money provides terrorism necessary logistics, e.g. explosives, hideouts, travel and the search and observation of soft vulnerable targets. The innermost circle consists of terrorists surrounded by a second, wider circle of direct supporters, planners, commanders and religious personalities: the terrorism infrastructure. The method for utilising this money is organised crime. The third circle is of religious, educational and welfare organisations, including business establishments, financial institutions and media houses, laundering money through inflating their expenditures and manipulating information to deter the law enforcement agencies by defaming them. The tragedy is that our ‘democratically’ elected rulers have now openly come out in favour of not only allowing corruption but also decrying those having the effrontery to question this daylight robbery.
A symbiotic relationship notwithstanding, all terrorist acts are not organised crime and neither are all criminal acts terrorism. Organised crime has the capacity to provide explosives, reconnaissance and transportation, thriving in most developed countries with little or no terrorist activities. The sophisticated facade and charm of a family man, suave, well-educated, well-dressed politician, businessman, industrialist or banker who is the toast of society and member of prestigious clubs may camouflage the capacity for evil in funding organised crime, in turn facilitating terrorism. Modern terrorists thrive on callous, deeply imbedded pillars of society with deep pockets.
The civilised world believes that it can enforce the rule of law in a totally lawless environment. No country has a law against cannibals eating citizens because such an act would be unthinkable but it is time the world brings the unthinkable into the statute books. In his dissertation on the rule of law, Haim Harrari says, “No doubt civilised society can be strait-jacketed with limitations but in questioning these limitations can one always find likely answers?” Can a government listen to phone conversations of terrorists and drug dealers? With intelligence agencies frequently listening to private conversations without official sanction, why not? Can one raid a church, mosque or synagogue, serving as a terrorist hideout or ammunition storage? If, with the sanctity of these religious places of worship compromised, can they be called sacred? If a hospital or a mental hospital is used as a sanctuary or children as human shields, do you return fire? Do you strip every woman because one pretended to be pregnant and carried a suicide bomb on her belly? Can you dismiss a government that openly protects the corrupt? To prevent innocents from being murdered and sustain the peace of mind of our citizens, why not?
Our law enforcement agencies must have the ability to: (a) detect people organised in terrorist activity, identify them and monitor their movements whoever they are; (b) detect the money trail and the supply sources of explosive materials; (c) mobilise one’s defence and conduct intelligence to recognise and counter specific threats, utilising both human and electronic intelligence; (d) focus on means of mass transportation as potential terror targets; (e) guard the country’s frontiers, and (f) target those giving sustenance to perpetrators, including funds meant for charity and creating adverse perception for law enforcement bodies. Besides draining the country of its precious foreign exchange reserves, terrorist funding comes through foreign exchange dealers and havalas. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) must set aside arcane rules and quickly activate electronic means to accurately document transactions of inward foreign remittances that can dent, if not eliminate, the havala trade.
During a recent SC hearing, Justice Azmat Saeed Shaikh remarked, “It seems the government has sympathy for the terrorists. Why is the National Action Plan (NAP) not being implemented so far?” The unfortunate home truth is that the NAP has to overcome administrative, social and economic hurdles for implementation in an environment where corruption and organised crime are not only deep-rooted but have powerful mentors in and out of government.

The writer is a defence analyst and security expert