The murder of 23 Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers on Sunday night, who were kidnapped from Mohmand Agency in 2010, is another shocking episode for our security personnel. The action was, by any definition, barbaric, unethical and against Islamic teachings and Pakhtun norms. People in general condemned the act but there was no sustained uproar from our splendid leaders who portray themselves as champions of tolerance and justice. Moreover, the response from our so-called ‘custodians of the faith’ was marked by deafening silence. They had nothing to say when pro-Taliban militants beheaded two ‘khasadar’ abducted from Bannu in December last year. Nor did the religious-political leaders condemn any of the, at least, eight incidents this year in which ‘spies’ were beheaded by militants in the tribal belt. Should this lack of censure be seen as silent endorsement? By publicly beheading and slaying people, the militants are sending a clear message to local residents that no disobedience will be tolerated. Silence from the mainstream encourages public submission to the militants’ un-Islamic acts.
Even in a declared war, certain rules must be followed. So great is the respect for human feelings in Islam that even the wanton destruction of an enemy’s crops or property is strictly forbidden. The righteous Caliphs followed closely the teachings of Allah and those of His Apostle in letter and spirit. The celebrated address, which the first Caliph, Hazrat Abu Bakr, gave to his army, while sending it on an expedition to the Syrian borders, is permeated with the noble spirit with which war in Islam is permitted. He said: “Stop, O people, that I may give you 10 rules for your guidance in the battlefield. Do not commit treachery or deviate from the right path. You must not mutilate dead bodies. Neither kill a child, nor a woman. Nor an aged man. Bring no harm to the trees, nor burn them with fire, especially those, which are fruitful. Slay not any of the enemy’s flock, save for your food. You are likely to pass by people who have devoted their lives to monastic services; leave them alone.”
Which Islam are the Taliban preaching and fighting for? We admit scores of flaws in government strategies but what the Taliban are doing cannot be condoned at all. Since 2002, Pakistanis have been bewildered by the seemingly endless news stories about suicide bombers, which have now moved on towards other barbaric acts. The curse of suicide bombing in Pakistan was birthed during the Musharraf regime, with the first attack on a church in Islamabad in March 2002, killing four US nationals. Terrorist attacks staged in Pakistan have killed over 45,000 people, 10,000 of which were law enforcement personnel, and caused material damage to the Pakistani economy totalling $ 70 billion as reported by the IMF and the World Bank. The recent murder of Major Jahanzeb in Peshawar by the Taliban is yet another sour episode damaging peace, creating distance between law enforcement agencies, the general community and the Taliban, and flinging Pakistan towards two factions: enlightened moderates and extremists. However, in all cases, the sufferers were innocent people, both civilians and members of the law enforcement agencies.
It is ironic that radical Islamic groups, which are supposedly posing a threat to Pakistan, gained space in the country’s political scene through state patronage. The radicalisation of civil society started during General Ziaul Haq’s reign, for his efforts to gain legitimacy and this has continued under successive regimes as well. General Pervez Musharraf continued to foster them, ostensibly for national security reasons. An instant overview of this anarchy further unveils that it is not just an internal maladjustment of forces that has created turmoil in Pakistan but also external forces that have helped perpetuate military rule in Pakistan, forces responsible for the internal crisis that threatens to destroy Pakistan. The US and other European countries are the main powers that have kept Pakistan afloat in more ways than one. The basic aim of these countries is to keep Pakistan on its back, dependant on foreign dole by allowing the military to stay in power. The question is not enforcement of sharia or transfer of power to fanatics, but the people’s desire for complete access to the basic needs of life in a welfare state. Appalling strategies, adverse performance and failed guidelines of the government have worried the common man. With a small elite ruling the country for the last 65 years and the rest of the population trying to find sustenance, it is possible the result is this new approach of barbarism and brutal acts. Hence, the real threat to Pakistan’s internal stability emanates from the ruling elite itself, consisting of the military and feudal elements that want to perpetuate their rule, using any means possible. The ruling elite, in searching for new strategies in its war against terrorism, has been inadvertently undermining the sovereignty of the state itself.
Having spawned fundamentalism of the most radical kind for almost 11 years, it is now obvious that the solution lies in the democratisation of Pakistan’s polity, otherwise it is likely that more of our population will swing towards right-wing and extremist policies. It is high time for the government, which enjoys a popular mandate, to deal with the scourge of extremism with an iron fist without shifting directions. The world, at the same time, must pay attention to developing an economically strong Pakistan.
The writer is a PhD sudent at the National Defence University and works for the federal government