Daily Times

Nothing screams “back to the future” more than the ominous black cloud of terror billowing over the length and breadth of the entire country. We were quick to dismiss the growing warning signs, but the enemy kept its nose close to the grinding stone. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah can now be seen jumping in front of cameras to wave menacing statistics pertaining to the presence of TTP fighters in the region (anywhere between seven and 10 thousand). However, his lips would probably seal at the mention of the last eight months. As he castigated Counter Terrorism Department for not carrying out its “job,” did he very conveniently forget the alarm bells blaring out of protests held by locals and the demands of mainstream political movements? Had he not been aware of the remnants picking up crumbs, getting a boost of confidence from the Taliban takeover of Kabul and working hard to achieve the same goal in Islamabad?

The people living in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tried their level best to raise a hue and cry about extortion calls, the never-before-seen scale of across-border movements and the piling up of ammunition, but their security was sadly not deemed important enough to be covered by news headlines. Death threats and murderous attacks in the hills were largely swept under the rug. Quite understandably so, because why would the elite quarters spend their energies on getting bothered in the far-flung areas? It was only when the capital took a hit last week and the latest in a string of heart-wrenching attacks prompted a word of caution from international players that the state realised how its proverbial afternoon nap had lasted quite a while and sitting on the fence was no longer an ideal line of action anymore.

That Pakistan is under a great debt for the unrelenting sacrifices rendered by its armed forces in their war against terrorism cannot be stressed enough and, therefore, stands behind every word of the pledge taken by the top brass vows in “fight(ing) against terrorists without any distinction.” Nevertheless, what use would be repeating the heroic marvels of 2015 and breaking the back of militancy if political fallacies are bound to leave the back door open only for it to gather strength and roar again? Of course, we have left the dark decades far behind: today, the military, as well as civilian leadership, has repeatedly shown they would hold the fortress for every single Pakistani–regardless of where he may be. However, refusing to lose any bordering areas in the hard-fought bargain and closing the door on all forms of extremism is much easier said than done. *