Daily Times

How beautifully Persian poet Mawlana Rumi recommended the remedy for all troubles in the following words, “Do not runaway. Run inward.” The reference made by the eminent sage was not only spiritual, but equally applies on the physical world where the entire game revolves around the politics of gains.

Self psychoanalysis offers the best solutions to ailing individual mind and so does for a state. At the turn of the year, we also need to review, revisit and amend the policies, correct and remold strategies, in order to redefine future where creating an enabling environment within and around us should be the priority.

At least we are not accused of being involved in the export of jihadi products, as for now, while some countries in the region are accused of exporting the second generation of jihadist elements. Have those factories stopped manufacturing or the product has found a job inside? That’s the situation we need to review with all seriousness. Intricacies of overhauling external environment cannot be ignored either. Yet the inward attention requires focused surgeries to cut the tumor out from spreading further.

It was with a lot of sacrifices of precious lives and valuable resources that the rogues were pushed back, if not all were eliminated. However, an upsurge of extremist elements in certain pockets of tribal areas in the northwest rings a bell. What went wrong?

Security forces job is to clear the territory and install the law and order feasible enough for the civil administration to takeover and mange the affairs. Unfortunately, despite all the tall claims, the civilian government was not prepared to shoulder the share of responsibility. For instance, in the post insurgency Swat, the peace restored remained temporary, mainly because both the political will and capability of civil institutions was not strong enough to handle the level playing field prepared.

An alliance of politico-religious forces has already been revived to counter the already weakening mainstream political parties – which are paying for shortfalls that arose due to their own corruption and infighting

A similar situation exists in the south, Karachi in particular, and other urban centres of Pakistan. The escaping extremist militants from the northwest found a better pasture to graze on, devising new vistas of income generation. The fusion of local organised crime mafias with religious outfit crime cartel flourished under political patronage and this makes it a harder nut to crack. The widening gulf of displeasure and professional inconveniences among the institutions make the task of eliminating the rouge and dismantle the crime cartels tougher.

The sectarian strife remained undeterred and rise of xenophobic elements continues unchecked defying the official tall claims about eradication of terror. Yet more alarming is the trend of jihadist or Islamist militancy encroaching space in the political arena. The legitimate political parties are receding. The confluence of jihadist and other religious extremist elements with the politics is slowly yet consistently translating into a ‘new normal’ coercing mainstream politicians and the political parties. The implications are as quite simple to understand as the case of moderate politico-religious Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) whose political space was encroached upon by an ultra version of the same in the form of both factions of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Fazl Ur Rehman and Sami ul Haq.

The next generation of oxymoron being facilitated and taking over political space would be the controversial jihadist string of Hafiz Saeed and corporation and Khadim Hussain Rizvi kind. It seems more like the JI and JUP in the past had failed to match the firepower of JUI. And now ‘karma’ is taking toll as the next generation of tested jihadist is flexing to compete in the upcoming polls.

It appears as if these transforming cloaks would force their way into the parliament in the coming years. An alliance of politico-religious forces has already been revived to counter the already weakening mainstream political parties – which are paying for the shortfalls due to their own corruption and infighting. What’s apparent is the mainstream political parties in Pakistan would shrink into regions from their mega national stature. The situation would ripe for a broad-based national government, generally comprising technocrats and turncoats from mainstream political parties, balanced by possibly injected radicalised candidates from religiously mobilsed parties. The vacuum that has been created or facilitated would be gradually filled by ultra orthodoxy well equipped with jihadi training, experience and ossified single-agenda mindset.

Are we looking forward to that kind of Pakistan? Certainly not. However, our social indicators are quite disturbing, particularly in development sector, such as health and education. 2018 should be a year when our priorities that were put at the back burner are revived, redefined and respected. We need to put our house in order.

The writer is senior journalist and former Political Affairs Advisor to the US Consulate General in Karachi

Published in Daily Times, January 6^th 2018.