The decision by the Apex Committee of the National Action Plan to launch the Azm-i-Istehkam operation was probably immediately caused by the horrific incident in Madyan, Swat district, in which a person accused to desecrating the Holy Quran was lynched by a mob, but was also probably because of a rising tide of violent extremism which manifested itself in seething unrest in KP, where the Army has been continually engaged in the Waziristan districts and their environs. The Committee also reviewed the original plans which had led to its setting up, the Army Public School massacre in 2014. A decade has passed, much has changed, but the problem remains. The biggest change is the departure of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan. However, though it seemed there was great joy in Islamabad over the return of the Taliban to power in Kabul, the situation in Pakistan has worsened, as more people fell victim to terrorism in 2023 than for some years past. At one level, Pakistan is in an even worse position with regards to the Taliban, who believe providing the TTP havens a religious obligation, which has been used by it as a sort of license to operate freely.
The planned operation is to include not just actions by the military and the law-enforcing agencies, but also an implementation of those portions of the National Action Plan which remain unimplemented. For example, if there had been a prevention of the provocative calls over loudspeakers, which led to the gathering of a mob outside the attacked police station, the lynching could have been avoided. However, apart from hate speech, there has been a decline in public discourse, and an increase in violent and hate-filled speech.
It is perhaps problematic that the PTI is offering to support the operation only if the matter is submitted to Parliament. Clearly, this is a delaying tactic, even though the matter is one which will not brook delay. Also, Parliament created the Apex Committee precisely so that such matters did not have to be referred to it Referring its decision back to Parliament seems the sort of dithering which has allowed the means of taking the initiative. The PTI should realise that there are myriad tools by which parliamentary oversight can be exercised, and it should not be afraid to use them.
