Daily Times

The long drawn out, much talked about process of negotiations may resume but what this process has already done needs to be assessed. I admit that, personally, I have been very sceptical about this process. In fact, I am against this process if it takes place outside the limits of the constitution and without a complete stop to terrorist activities. The first exposure that followed the decision to negotiate was in the nominations of the negotiation team by the terrorists or Taliban, whatever you like to call them. They nominated Imran Khan, Fazlur Rehman, Samiul Haq, Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid and Mohammad Ibrahim, a representative of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Did Imran’s nomination surprise some people? It did not surprise me. I had indicated that Imran has the Taliban’s support in an article in 2012. Some people did not believe this but subsequent events strengthened the validity of my statement. Imran also made strange statements like providing the Taliban an ‘office’ in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa! This was totally naïve! Did he realise that he was offering recognition to people who do not accept the constitution of Pakistan? It was like a failed attempt for a ‘sixer’ by a cricketer. He got ‘caught’. His party cooperated in hushing it up.

Fazlur Rehman, always a supporter of ‘negotiations’ with the Taliban for his political convenience, was also a nominee of the Taliban. It must have been embarrassing for both Imran and the Maulana to be nominees of the terrorists who do not recognise the constitution or the democratic process. These are the basis for the presence of those two in the in the National Assembly of Pakistan! They would be expected to resign from their hard-earned National Assembly seats to accept the nomination of the Taliban. So both Imran and Fazlur Rehman wriggled out sheepishly with one excuse or the other. But the fact was established that both of them enjoy the support of the terrorist organisation.

Samiul Haq, known as the father of the Taliban movement, Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid, an active associate of terrorists and al Qaeda, and the Jamaat-e-Islami’s Mohammad Ibrahim, stood their ground and accepted the nominations. None of these persons are known for believing in what Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah or Iqbal believed in as the basis of Pakistan. Imran and Abdul Aziz are later additions, but the other two are from parties that were known to be against the Pakistan movement. They nicked it at a later stage to benefit from the gains in a new country.

So this bunch of ‘leaders’ was exposed by the Taliban themselves as their confidants and political wings, with sleeper cells in their parties. Several party members in Imran’s party may have been rudely shocked by Imran’s support of the Taliban but there is little doubt that these ‘leaders’ stood exposed as supporters of the Taliban mindset and look kindly upon them. The attitude of these leaders was supportive although the Taliban rely on terrorism and belong to the fanatic cult of Salafism. Most terrorist movements hide behind some religious slogans to claim moral justification. The clear example is of Indian terrorists who believe in ‘Hindutva’.

The nomination of Abdul Aziz was no surprise for those who are familiar with the facts of the Lal Masjid incident. The Lal Masjid occupants had decided in favour of terrorism and rejected all appeals. Those who made appeals included such dignitaries as the Imam-e-Kaaba, Abdus Sattar Eidhi and his wife, Allama Taqi Usmani who used to be their revered scholar and, of course, a host of politicians and army men. The fact is that the Lal Masjid occupants were part of the plan by al Qaeda for a guerilla war and Lal Masjid was their forward post in Islamabad. Later they retreated to Swat according to the pre-planned strategy. However, the well-publicised fact is that Abdul Aziz wore a veil like the other women and tried to escape. He was caught and exposed.

However, the most stunning exposure of the ‘maulvi’ has occurred now. He has exposed his loyalties himself. He threatened the Pakistan government, during negotiations, saying that if the government does not accept the demands of the terrorists then he has a trained group of 500 women ready to begin suicide attacks. He also sneered at the Pakistan army’s capability to fight back.

There is exposure after exposure. The Taliban ‘ceasefire’ has been exposed by the attack in the Islamabad courts and the shahadat (martyrdom) of a distinguished judge. The worst part is the effort of the interior minister to shift the blame on the duty guard and cover up for the terrorist group. The attack has further exposed the double-face of the terrorist by declaring a ceasefire but then attacking the courts and discretely distancing themselves from the terror attack! Or is it that the Taliban’s claim of control is false?

There is also a painful exposure of the prime minister himself who seems to be supporting the participation of the armed forces as a part of the negotiation team! Does the PM realise that this would mean recognising the Taliban groups as a ‘state’? Political parties in the opposition, and even Fazlur Rehman, have seen through the Taliban’s tactics. It also needs to be noted that the ceasefire during the month of March 2014 is only a strategy to buy time and regroup. So far only the defence minister, Khawaja Asia, seems to have seen through this Taliban strategy, according to his statements on a television programme.

The armed forces have shown extraordinary patience and support to the political government. They have given lives by the thousands. So have thousands of innocent civilian men, women and children. Millions of family members of the deceased and injured are suffering. The armed forces are sensitive to these sacrifices; they should not be pushed beyond their limits and that too at the cost of national sovereignty.

The writer is the former CEO Pakistan National Council of the Arts; chairman Fruit Processing Industries; chairman UNESCO Theatre Institute Pakistan and COO ICTV, USA. He is the author of Melluhas of the Indus Valley 8000 BC to 500 BC. He can be reached at naeemtahir37@gmail.com