Suicide blast in Adezai

It is now time to admit that anti-Taliban lashkars have contributed to the constant cycle of violence in tribal areas.

The Taliban has once again showed that it has the ability to attack at will in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. This time, the target was the funeral of the wife of Hakeem Khan, a leader of the anti-Taliban Aman Lashkar. The suicide bombing, which took place in Adezai near Peshawar, claimed at least 36 lives. This attack, more than the other brutalities committed by the Taliban, shows how bloodthirsty the militants are. Just last week, the Aman Lashkar in Adezai had announced that it would disband if the government did not provide it logistical support. The chief of the Lashkar, Dilawar Khan, had claimed that the Taliban had killed nearly 50 of its leaders and with the police unwilling to step in with arms and ammunitions, it would be forced to call a halt to its anti-militant fight.

Quite apart from the fact that the Taliban seek revenge, even against those ready to give up the fight, this attack highlights the ambivalence of the government towards anti-Taliban lashkars. The lashkars were formed with much fanfare in 2008 and were touted as a turning point in the fight against the militants. At the time, the government was prepared to overlook the lashkars’ spotty commitment to human rights, as defeating the Taliban was considered the more pressing goal. It was also claimed that the lashkars would give Pakhtuns an opportunity to rise against the oppressive Taliban.

It may now be time to admit that the lashkars have had, at best, little success and at worst have contributed to the never-ending cycle of violence in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas. There have been credible reports that the lashkars have been indiscriminate in their killing and have even sought to settle tribal feuds rather than focus exclusively on the Taliban. The government is in a no-win situation. If it ups the ante and heavily arms the lashkars, it could create an Afghanistan-like situation where the lashkars become the new warlords. But leaving the Taliban alone is not an option either. What’s needed is a renewed commitment to using the army to tackle the Taliban and preventing a repeat of yesterday’s tragedy in Adezai.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2011.