Daily Times

The recent terrorist attacks on Iran serve as a brutal and bloody reminder that ISIS appears ever-ready to strike anywhere in the world, at any given time. Sadly, this came just weeks after major world powers, spearheaded by the US and Saudi Arabia, came together in a concerted effort to try and isolate Tehran for alleged support to terrorism. The fact that the attackers were recruited in-country is worrying, signalling as it does the cancerous spread of the terror network beyond borders and beyond continents. In order to tackle this threat Iran needs global support. Meaning that the US-Saudi blame game must end. Iran, for its part, is fighting terror groups in Iraq and Syria. Just that regarding the latter it is also supporting the ruling regime, a move that has prompted American ire. Yet it was not so long ago that Britain had fickly decided that President Assad could stay. Though that position has since changed, for the time being at least.

We stand with the people of Iran. We especially stand by them in the face of Donald Trump’s ill-advised response whereby he said that those “states that sponsor terrorism are at risk of falling victim to it”. This was gloating at its most grotesque. And such insensitive comments are something in which we here in Pakistan are well-versed. We call on the American president to go off script and demonstrate compassion.

ISIS poses a clear and present danger to the entire world. It has a certain stronghold in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Despite the military establishment’s assurances that it robbed the group of a foothold in Balochistan – we cannot ignore the beheading of abducted Chinese engineers in the province. Especially given that the Army has deployed not a small amount of troops to safeguard CPEC projects and infrastructure from terror attacks. Yet protection cannot just be for the nuts and bolts of the Corridor. It has to include the people, both in terms of local populations and foreign contract workers.

To fight this regional threat, the international community must work together towards dismantling terrorist safe havens while going after those who provide logistic support to the bad guys. Creating a bloc against a particular country is absolutely not the way to go about this.

Pakistan’s involvement in the Saudi-led so-called Sunni military alliance against Islamist extremism is also rather problematic. It has cheated us of our neutrality in the Middle East conflict. We are now seen to be taking sectarian sides at the regional level. Given our own mammoth task of tackling sectarianism at home – we can ill-afford to be seen as a rogue state elsewhere. For keeping the company of thieves doesn’t necessarily mean that one is not. We have undoubtedly been too rash in signing up for the Islamic Alliance, our eagerness borne of a desire to finally be recognised on the world stage as a nation that walks the walk on terror. Naturally it is only right and good that Pakistan does so. Yet it has to look beyond flickering regional spotlights. Meaning the priority must be inward looking. There is no place for Pakistan in an international alliance seeking to sow the seeds of yet more violent sectarianism. Especially one that is seemingly masquerading under the false banner of countering terror.*