It took more than 60,000 deaths for us to realise that too many people have died. The war on terror, which was never ours, is finally being owned, with a few exceptions. Fortunately, a large-scale consensus has been reached and the government and armed forces have categorically declared that the militants will be dealt with an iron hand without any discrimination, yet I feel the question of ‘good’ and bad’ Taliban remains for many of us. You might call us sseptics but we have a valid argument.
The National Action Plan has been prepared, a committee has been setup, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has been reorganised and, most important of all, the 21st Amendment to the Constitution and the Army Act has been revised. This certainly is a clear indication from the government that it is gearing up for a long and difficult offensive against militancy. But are we still missing out on something? Well, I guess we are. The likes of Maulana Abdul Aziz are still roaming in and around the capital city even though his arrest warrants have been issued. Many other mullahs sharing the ideology preached by the militants are out there in the public, giving sermons on Friday and spewing hatred against minority sects and religions. Most importantly, the welfare and charity wings of many banned organisations like Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) are operating in all the major cities. Ironically, they are the first ones to reach a blast site and are given undue coverage by the media. All of us saw their relief workers after the Peshawar school attack, transporting the dead and the injured to hospitals. I am startled at the fact that if I, as an ordinary citizen of the state, know about the linkages of these so-called welfare organisations and how they are penetrating our society with the help of their welfare activities then why is the government not doing anything about it? Therefore, the question of the good and bad Taliban remains.
The immediate response to the brutal attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar from the whole of society was almost unanimous. Everybody vowed to avenge the deaths of more than 140 schoolchildren. However, as I see it, this was an emotional response. Perhaps it is true that this incident was so cruel that it stirred up emotions in almost every one of us. The government came up with a similar response and lifted the moratorium on the death penalty in cases pertaining to terrorism. In the weeks to follow, we saw a number of other such responses from the government. Army courts have been set up to try terrorism related cases. Even those who survived the attack — the schoolchildren — were emotionally charged as seen on our television screens. They wanted to avenge the killings of their schoolfellows and almost every one of them wanted to join the army. But is the army the answer to all our predicaments? I do not think so.
These army courts will certainly be effective in trying terrorism suspects but they cannot offer a sustainable or permanent solution. The permanent solution lies in the strengthening of the judicial system and the civil administration of the country. Terrorism can only be effectively curtailed if judges are not afraid to hear terrorism related cases and if only they are offered anonymity. Witness protection programmes will also encourage witnesses to come forward, which will most effectively help in curtailing the menace of terrorism. The agreement of almost all the political parties on the National Action Plan is a welcome development. However, it should also be accompanied by the measures stated above. Terrorism is so deeply rooted in our society that we need to tackle it through a combination of different approaches.
We are certainly proud of our armed forces. However, their permanent role in civil administration or the judicial system will only increase our dependence on them, which will lead to the weakening of democratic structures. In addition to this, the narrative of good and bad Taliban should be put to an end forever. The banned organisations hiding under the veil of welfare organisations should be dealt with in a similar manner like it is with other militants. Only then will we be able to call it our war.
The writer is a development consultant. She tweets at @GulminaBilal and can be reached at [email protected]