Daily Times

Less than a month after the Punjab government approached paramilitary force, the Rangers, to conduct joint anti-terrorism operations in the province — the terrorists have hit back. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for Wednesday evening’s suicide attack on a police check-post in Lahore that killed 10, including six policemen, and wounded some 20 others. The banned outfit released a statement in which it termed this retribution for the killing of its “associates” in the Punjab; while threatening more violence targeting law enforcement agents.

This is the first time terror attack that Lahore has faced in 2018. Yet given that the year is still to complete its first quarter, this offers little solace. The security situation is as fragile as ever.

Much has been made of the fact that the police had been finalising security arrangements for the Pakistan Super League cricket matches. Indeed, pundits have suggested banned outfits working on an Indian agenda striking while Lahore is under the spotlight. This, in fact, fits in with the military establishment’s own assessment; at least in the wake of the confession by former TTP and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan in which he said that Indian and Afghan intelligence agencies were funding the militant group to try and destabilise Pakistan.

Be that as it may, this overlooks the fact that on Wednesday evening the police presence was aimed at protecting the Tablighi Jamaat annual congregation, close to the Sharif family residence. And while this is said to be an apolitical movement — many experts beg to differ. Its rigid view of a one-dimensional Islam, they argue, paved the way for the cultural environment producing the Taliban. There have also been murmurings of support from the deep state. Indeed, some have gone as far as terming the Tablighi Jamaat the ideological patron of groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). All of which points, potentially, to a dangerous scenario whereby one anti-state group turns on non-state actors; thus putting law enforcers quite literally in the line of fire.

One thing is clear: these games cannot go on. The civilian set-up must adopt a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to those who provide either material or financial support to suspect entities. And this has to happen across the board; from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s funding of a madrassa run by ‘the Father of the Taliban’ to other organs of the state and their alleged dealings with certain murky outfits. This is to say nothing of halting the militant mainstreaming project unless and until those facilitating it are willing to put in place a transparent verification system, in accordance with international norms, for the downing of arms.

For this is the only way in which Pakistan can save itself.  *

Published in Daily Times, March 16^th 2018.