Mastung to Mir Ali to Opinion in Pakistan is fast swaying in support of a military operation to eliminate Taliban militancy. Even Taliban apologists, such as Imran Khan, have begun to voice support for the military operation. Good Sharing an article by Admin of Viewpoint posted viewpointonline.net/2014/01/vp185/mastung-to-mir-ali On January 21, 28 Shia pilgrims of Hazara origin were killed while dozens injured when a powerful explosion ripped through a bus in Balochistans district of Mastung. As usual, the media were reluctant to utter the word Shia even when the banned militant organisation Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) claimed responsibility for the attack and warned of more such attacks. Like last year, Hazara community has staged a sit-in with coffins they brought from Mastung. They have refused to bury the dead. At the time of writing [January 23], solidarity sit-in protests have been staged all over the country on the call of Shia leadership. Last year [January 10-13], a similar sit-in by Hazaras made global headlines when, braving Quetta’s harsh cold, they agitated over state’s singular failure to provide them basic security. Meantime, yet another military offensive in Mir Ali has dominated the headlines. Described by the Federal Minister for Defence Production, Rana Tanvir Hussain, as a tit-for-tat action following Taliban attack on military targets in Rawalpindi’s R. A Bazar and Bannu Cantonment, fresh Mir Ali operation has triggered the debate on military operation. Opinion in Pakistan is fast swaying in support of a military operation to eliminate Taliban militancy. Even Taliban apologists, such as Imran Khan, have begun to voice support for the military operation. Is military operation a solution? Partially, yes. However, only partially and temporarily. This is, in no way, the ‘final solution’ as some sections perhaps believe. Unless taproot of the problem is addressed, military operations will not yield any sustainable results. Paradoxically, military itself is the taproot of Taliban militancy. In the first place, it fanatically refuses to acknowledge the bond between Taliban [of all hue], al-Qaida legions, Islamist freemasonry [Jama’at-e-Islami and JUI to Tableeghi Jama’at], Sipah-e-Sahaba offshoots, and Jihad-e-Kashmir enterprises [LeT and Jaish-e-Muhammad et al]. Secondly, military mavericks refuse to give up the patronage of militants they think they still need in Kashmir/India and Baluchistan/Sindh. It is not a coincidence that Hazara community has become a target in recent years. To undermine the Baloch national struggle, our strategists have brought beards to dissociate Baloch youth from the nationalist struggle. Huge madrassa networks, mass Tableeghi congregations, Wahabi charities, and Saudified mosques have, of late, begun to dot the Balochistan landscape. The Takfiri Islam is definitely winning people over. It will absolutely pose a serious challenge to Baloch nationalist struggle unless nationalist forces effectively counter it ideologically and otherwise. However, by providing fanaticism a foothold in Balochistan’s otherwise secularist polity, the deep state has exhibited its shallowness. Hazara massacre is the first ill omen about the times to come. Thirdly, military refuses to learn the simple lesson: Frankensteins always go out of control. You can not overrule the history, no matter how clever you are. Pity! When one is not even clever and attempting for an impossible. Fourthly, military solution should imply dismantling of Jihadi infrastructure; it should not be restricted to FATA where poor Pashtuns have become a usual military target while terror factories remain in Karachi and Punjab. While we believe Taliban militancy cannot be brought to an end by way of ‘talks’, we think military actions, in the absence of radical break with Jihadification and radicalization at state-level, will prolong Pakistan’s misery. Like it or not, Pakistan military cannot go on: 1. Sheltering Afghan Taliban while fighting their Pakistani cousins 2. Patronizing such Jihadi outfits as Let, Jaish-e-Muhammad and LeJ while sorting out TTP& Co. 3. Islamifying the official discourses while battling suicide attacks. Time to change course has already long past. Further delay in de-Wahabifying the state and society will only prolong the ongoing bloodshed. In our view, military operations against Taliban will bear fruit only when accompanied by a comprehensive policy of 1. disengaging from Afghanistan and Indian Held Kashmir 2. dismantling of Jihadi infrastructure [which includes madarassa-and-charity networks] 3. separating religion from state 4. end to discrimination on confessional basis 5. respect for Baloch, Sindhi, Seraiki, and Pashtoon national right 6. a semblance of social-welfare state, to begin with For a foreseeable future, option for Pakistan is either Taliban barbarism or secularism. There is no third way!
Posted on: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 15:48:02 +0000