Daily Times

NA-120 election results must be taken as a wakeup call — it is question of now or never. While one would not like to go into the debate as to how and why it happened and that it was a manifestation of victory for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s strategy of defiance and Begum Kulsoom Nawaz’s victory is the triumph of democratic forces over establishment troika and those in cahoots with it.

What should be a matter of more serious concern is coming of the Jihadis wanting to establish a so-called Islamic state to perpetuate through violent methods their subjugation of — by and large — peace loving Pakistanis still committed to Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s Pakistan as a secular, social welfare state.

Though they had their vote count around thirteen thousand, independent candidates a vowedly belonging to Jihadi network not allowed registration as political parties by the Election Commission of Pakistan — JuD’s Milli Muslim League of Hafiz Saeed and Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s Labbaik Party have caused a shockwave. One is sure the emergence of these groups must definitely be a cause of profound worry for those who want to see Pakistan blossom as a democracy.

Having seen the retrogressive role of TTP in the 2013 elections when both PPP and ANP were denied a free and fair campaign — we ought to ensure that the latest entrants into electorial politcis with their notorious affiliations with terrorists don’t use highhanded tactics to instill fear of terror in their opponents

To add insult to this injury is the news circulating in the media quoting a retired general who claims to have ingress in the corridors of power (he is supposed to have shown messages from previous ISI DG to him about the new scheme of white washing terrorists into mainstream), that plans are on the drawing board to induct the jihadi groups into mainstream through a policy to win them over and suck them into mainstream.

This retired gentleman who masquerades as a sort of defence/security expert and political analyst on various TV talk shows, says a policy is on the anvil to allow banned outfits to enter main stream politics. In this context one remembers the interview of former President General Pervez Musharraf to Kamran Shahid recently minced no words in his praise of Hafiz Saeed as a national hero, a vital strategic asset who was not being treated well by the government.

Both Labbaik Party and LeT/JuD backed Milli Muslim League supported Independent candidate polled nearly thirteen thousand previous PMLN votes. The voting pattern of by election in NA-120 shows dark state sponsored further division of vote in Punjab and emergence of strong elements that could always be used to destabilize an elected government or even derail democracy.

Having seen the retrogressive role of TTP and its associates in the 2013 elections when both PPPP and ANP were not allowed free campaigning, their candidates were attacked, killed or kidnapped — the new religious parties with their notorious affiliations with the terrorists — would in still fear of terror in their opponents. While IK had openly called for talks with Taliban and his KP government provides funds for Maulana Samiul Haq’s seminary that had hosted Benazir Bhutto’s alleged killers, PML-N was already in cahoots with Hafiz Saeed’s Let/JuD to carry their sizeable vote bank among the trade/shopkeepers/markets and bazaars.

The overall murky political situation made murkier by statements such as attributed to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi (published in Financial Times) regarding the limitations of its operations, saying the bombers who killed more than 90 people in the attack in Kabul in May were likely to have come from Pakistan and Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif’s remarks that Pakistan shall have to do something more to alley the fears of its friends of its involvement with the terrorists who allegedly have safe havens in Pakistan — do not require any further indictment.

Giving likes of Hafiz Saeed’s new political identity for operations as strategic assets or non state actors under the garb of political parties is like branding New Wine into Old Wineskins. Renowned American scholar Selig Harrison speaking in London in Conference on Terrorism (March 2001) had the following to say: “The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) worked in tandem with Pakistan to create the ‘monster’ that is… Afghanistan’s … Taliban… I warned them that they were creating a monster.” CIA believed that Taliban were religious fanatics, they would fight until death to “oust the Soviet infidels” from their land. Similar was the deposition by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton many years later before the Senate that “people we are fighting today we funded twenty years ago…” She felt that Pakistan too should have known that when one breeds poisonous snakes in one’s courtyard, they should also be prepared to be bitten.

Mumbai terrorist attacks (Nov 26, 2008) threw cold water on President Asif Zardari’s initiative to move forward with India on various issues including Kashmir. India alleges that it was Hafiz Saeed who had masterminded the operation that killed over 150 at the behest of his invisible masters. Similar was the case when Indian Prime Minister Modi made a surprise visit to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his birthday in December 2015. Shortly afterwards Indian Air Force base in Pathankot was attacked by terrorists. Delhi sees Hafiz Saeed’s hand in it too. Mumbai and Pathankot obviously were aimed at forestalling talks.

Punjab is the province that has bluest of blood in patriotism, it is home to a martial race that has overwhelming numerical majority among the defenders and it has always been a safe haven for religious parties including those who opposed Pakistan and MAJ. These Jihadis or sectarian warmongers have been very loyal to the PMLN. Their unconditional support to the two brothers gave them freedom to roam unhindered. White washed they shall be given a new role.

Being classified as non-state actors as they are- they will be available to the powers that be — to be used by them for or against as per their wishes. As such one should dread their role as Trojan horses for disrupting democracy — especially to counter all those forces that want Pakistan to return to MAJ’s vision of a secular ideals.

The writer is former High Commissioner of Pakistan to UK and a veteran journalist

Published in Daily Times, September 20^th 2017.