Daily Times

The United State has recently released a report titled ‘Country Reports on Terrorism, 2016’, which has listed Pakistan among the states that secretly provide safe sanctuaries to terrorist and are not taking stringent measures to stop the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network.

The report also blames Pakistan for displaying reluctance to act against Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) which is already on the government watch list under Schedule II of the Anti-TerrorismAct. But the group continues to carry out their activities and holds rallies, fundraising events and its representatives frequently participate in talk shows on Pakistan’s TV channels. The JuD has recently launcheda political party, namely the Milli Muslim League (MML).

The above mentioned terrorist activities have been banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act, but the law enforcers have failed to ensure implementation of the act. The slothful implementation of this and other anti-terror plans poses security threat to the country both at national and international levels.

Our internal security situation has been going through tough time for the last few decades as a result of the authorities’ failure to ensure implementation of the laws. The Pakistan army claims to be eliminating terrorists through different operations, but no operation will gain complete success until action is also taken against home grown terrorist organisations.

Indolent law creates criminals vigilantly. The free roaming of terrorists inside Pakistan is an implied recognition of terrorist activities and is a form of invitation to foreign terrorist to establish their roots in the country. All terrorist groups are like two wings of the same bird but the difference is that one kills Afghans, the other kills Pakistanis. One finds shelter in Pakistan, the other in Afghanistan. Pakistan should ensure that the action against terrorists is across the board without any discrimination among terror groups on basis of their affiliations.

The Pakistan army claims to be eliminating terrorists through different operations, but no operation will gain complete success until action is also taken against home grown terrorist organisations

The surge of the IS and the Jamaat-ul-Ansar Al-Sharia, splinter group of TTP, in Karachi is a result of our flawed security policy in which there was a soft corner for jihadi groups in the past.

Terrorists in various areas have been successful in recruiting locals in their groups because of the grievances the locals hold including delay in getting justice. Before this terrorist recruitment start takes place here as well, we need to fix our justice system and deliver justice on time to the aggrieved families and to take action against all terrorist groups irrespective of their good or bad status.

Action against the Haqqani Network and Afghan Taliban is a must if we are to maintain good relations with the US and Afghanistan. This is also in our own interest. If we take action against those who we have in the past termed ‘good militants’, we will gain Afghan support to take action against our enemy TTP and will stop India from using its soil against Pakistan’s interests.

If the same formula is applied to terrorist groups operating in Kashmir, especially the JUD, we will gain India’s support to deescalate its support to Baloch separatist movement in Balochistan. We have to rebrand our image at the international level by partingways with the terrorists and acting againstthem.

The writer is a law student at the Islamia College University, Peshawar, and he can be reached at khetran65@gmail.com,He tweets @ziaullahkh7199

Published in Daily Times, August 25^th 2017.