Challenges of extremism and terrorism are not new to Pakistan. These challenges are colonial, inherent, and historical. However, the recent resurgence of terrorism in Pakistan has left the infrastructure in shambles and the economy on the brink of collapse.
The most significant militant groups involved in recent times are Al-Qaeda, TTP, Afghan Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Lashkar e-Jhangvi. Each of them has the same goals, but their scope is different. Al-Qaeda mainly operates on a global scale. TTP is involved in anti-state activities. The Afghan Taliban were grappling with the USA and US-backed governments in Afghanistan, and are now ruling it. Lashkar-e-Taiba is majorly considered an insurgent group responsible for violence in Kashmir, thus providing strategic depth to Pakistan.
Jihadi terrorism’s roots can be traced to 1979, a time when the USA and USSR were at daggers drawn in Afghanistan. Following the withdrawal of both arch-rivals from Afghanistan, the region was besieged by a civil war between different factions of militants. A year’s-long war between these groups continued in the form of a power struggle, thus making Afghanistan uninhabitable for civilians. An unchecked and unhindered swarm of refugees entered Pakistan.
The impoverished northern tribal areas, teeming with Afghan refugees, were already a herculean task for the governments to govern. However, with the influx of refugees, the state and government were between the devil and the deep sea when trying to administer these areas with effectiveness and efficiency.
With the founding of Tehrik Taliban Pakistan in 2009 by Baitullah Mehsud, with a fundamentalist ideology to impose Islamic laws, true Shariah, and an Islamic government in Pakistan, the state of Pakistan faced the music of Islamic militancy— a product of the terrorist industry, patronized by Pakistan, the USA, and Saudi Arabia.
National disintegration, lack of a top-to-bottom approach, and decay of democracy have left a vacuum for the growth and nourishment of extremist ideologies in Pakistan. Punjab is the largest and most highly populated province in Pakistan. It has an upper hand in civil bureaucracy, military, resources, and development. The perilous aftermaths of which are exclusive state policies and a lack of consensus in decision-making at the state level. This has led to a sense of alienation among the people of smaller provinces of Pakistan, thus contributing to the inception of subnational tendencies posing an existential threat to Pakistan.
Ethnic infighting and separatist movements have gained strength in the recent few years. An incessant tiff between the people of South Punjab and Central Punjab, along with the Muhajirs and Sindhis, has been evident in the near past.
This situation will aggravate in the coming days as there is a perpetual demand for linguistic provinces all around Pakistan, a model which is already accepted and adopted by our eastern arch-rival. This disunion among people within provinces will lead to weakened governments and the rise of internal insurgency in Pakistan.
An arc of militancy extends from Karakoram to Gwadar. Many significant terrorist organizations like TTP, Al-Qaeda, AT, LeT, BLA, and BLF are the carriers of violence throughout Pakistan.
Social inequalities, provincial economic disparity, water crises, and power distribution conundrums have fueled the flames of terrorism in Balochistan. With the exponential increase of violence in Balochistan, the flagship project of CPEC is also under threat.
Economic recovery and poverty alleviation are crucial factors to annihilate extremism from the roots. FATA is among the poorest and most neglected areas of Pakistan with a per capita income half of the national average. About 60 percent of the population in FATA is living below the poverty line. The education system needs a complete revamp along with the streamlining of madrassa culture. With these effective and efficient measures, we can keep a check and balance on the prevalent endemic terrorism, which poses an existential threat to the nation and the country.
Terrorist organizations like BLA and BLF have carried out barbarism against Chinese nationals multiple times, thus putting the future of CPEC and foreign investment in Pakistan at risk. “Gwadar Haq Do,” a recent popular slogan, has expressed the discrimination of Balochistan in developmental projects.
This unaddressed agony and grievances of people will add more fuel to the fire of the worst form of terrorism in Pakistan. Alleged extrajudicial killings, forced detentions, and illegitimate apprehensions of Baloch people have provided an impetus for state-sponsored terrorism from across borders to come and play their pernicious role in Balochistan.
The most prevalent and acceptable notion that provides explicit legitimacy to violence is that the USA wanted to suppress the rise of Muslim rule and the implementation of Shariah in Afghanistan.
Another linked and interesting perspective is that the USA wanted to divide and rule the Muslim community and countries. This indifference towards and hate of the USA, once a booster of terrorist groups, have contributed to radical and socio-religious anti-Americanism.
Pakistan’s policy towards counter-terrorism has always been unpredictable, and leadership is at sea when trying to design a workable and pragmatic strategy to eradicate the menace of militancy in Pakistan. Pakistan’s failure is firstly due to Pakistan’s consideration of the Taliban government as a potential companion after the USA’s withdrawal. Secondly, the geostrategic importance of Pakistan can be enhanced by maintaining strong ties with Afghan militants. Thirdly, the USA and India are selectively supporting some militant groups in Afghanistan to destabilize Pakistan, so Pakistan can use the Taliban as a counterweight against those groups.
There is a never-ending list of reasons for terrorism in Pakistan, but liquidating it from its root level is the major concern for the security and administrative authorities of Pakistan. The policies designed by different governments in different decades against counter-terrorism are capricious. With no learning from the nocuous role of terrorists, politicians are yet to decide whether the militants are their friends or foes.
However, there is no single solution or magic bullet that can fix the problem, but the approach has to be multi-pronged. Firstly, peace in Afghanistan is a prerequisite for a peaceful Pakistan. If there is to be a logical end to the war on terror because if it is Pakistan’s war, the entire nation must fight it based on national consensus. The right course seems to be engagement with the USA as well as militants.
Instead of siding squarely with one party, Pakistan carefully needs to disengage itself. Pakistan needs a provocative foreign policy to curb the menace of terrorism. It is a widely known fact that no militancy stands a chance against the resources of the state without foreign assistance. Opponents must be made to realize that mercenaries are loyal to the highest bidder, but tomorrow these mercenaries may come back to haunt today’s masters. Improving intelligence agencies, dealing with militancy in the tribal belt, and enhancing the competency of security forces are the key remedial measures to address the recent revival of insurgency.
Further, economic recovery and poverty alleviation are crucial factors to annihilate extremism from the roots. FATA is among the poorest and most neglected areas of Pakistan with a per capita income half of the national average. About 60 percent of the population in FATA is living below the poverty line. The education system needs a complete revamp along with the streamlining of madrassa culture. With these effective and efficient measures, we can keep a check and balance on the prevalent endemic terrorism, which poses an existential threat to the nation and the country.
