The Verdict
Talks with the Taliban and sleeping with the enemy

Talks with the Taliban and sleeping with the enemy

Stop drone strikes and the TTP will stop attacking innocent civilians? Don't live in a fool's paradise!

Fatima Zahra June 01, 2013

The charged air of “change” in recent elections caused many political parties to promise an end to terrorism and a return to peace, albeit without a clear strategy as to how this would be achieved. The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), parties that have otherwise engaged in name-calling and bitter rivalry, appear to agree on the necessity for peace in the region; peace that they claim can be achieved through “peace talks” with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

As a common Pakistani citizen, I would vouch that nobody of sound mind and loyalty to the country would oppose a policy of peace. However, the manner in which the process has been approached has raised eyebrows among the citizenry. The recent negative response from the TTP has only strengthened its resolve and temerity, drawing even more scepticism for the policy from concerned citizens.

The first of these concerns is the attempt of parties such as the PTI to appease the TTP by making flagrantly immature statements to the tune of, “we are not at war” with the Taliban, never mind that they have killed and terrorised thousands in the province that elected the party. Such an invitation for peace talks reeks of desperation and is an insult to the lives that have been lost and continue to be affected.

The second of these concerns is the apparent lack of understanding of the issue of terrorism from both the federal government and the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). During the elections, actions of extremism were sometimes termed a result of the “military campaign” that has ensued over the past decade, in affect blaming the military for the exacerbation of the situation. The newly elected government of K-P has blamed the absence of a clear federal policy as a reason for delays in the peace process. All parties have “condemned” drone strikes, claiming that they challenge the sovereignty of Pakistan and are ineffective in brokering and sustaining peace in the region.

With the issue of drone strikes aside, since it is a valid concern but involves another country and the dynamics are extremely complex from an economic and foreign policy perspective, all other issues pertain to a severe lack of communication. There is a dearth of analysis at an internal, multi-stakeholder level - something that is extremely detrimental to the peace process as one side of the negotiating table does not stand united and would sooner blame institutions than take collective responsibility for protecting the citizens of the country.

Furthermore, the assumptions upon which the single-tactic “peace talks” policy is based are worrisome. Political rhetoric urges us to believe that a handful of targeted external variables are causing the problem.

Stop drone strikes and the TTP will stop attacking innocent civilians.

Stop a military offensive and the TTP will back off.

Offer the TTP an olive branch and they will happily reciprocate because clearly, nobody ever thought of that before.

The TTP is an organisation that has repeatedly challenged the sovereignty of Pakistan and the rights of its people, from launching an organised country-wide campaign declaring voting “un-Islamic” and lashing out against education by bombarding schools to openly opposing the “laws of the land” by alleging that Pakistan does not follow Shariah principles. While fear and violence are tools often used to communicate this ideology, the TTP also engages in community efforts to bolster extremist attitudes and exploit indigence, which in turn serve as the bases for recruitment and influence.

Any policy forged or any offer of peace that comes without a clear strategy to control both violence and influence is flawed and premature. Precisely what are we willing to negotiate for the prospect of peace?

Will we barter away some of our sovereignty for the illusion of peace and prosperity?

Will we allow the TTP to breed in silos before becoming an even larger nuisance in the future?

Will we allow past crimes of brutal assault against innocent Pakistani civilians to go unpunished?

It would serve the political establishment well to re-analyse their stance on negotiating peace before the offer of “peace talks” becomes more of a fatuous statement than a serious policy option. Our newly elected leaders must also recognise that “peace talks” are in fact, merely an option, not the end goal. The aim is peace.

For that, the concerned policy would include military force, a gradual socio-economic uplift of affected regions, targeted community campaigns against extremism, counter-terrorism training and resources for security forces, the effective implementation and comprehensive revision of the recently amended Anti-Terrorism Act and a genuine effort to strengthen policy by keeping all stakeholders on board including the military, provincial governments, non-profit organisations working in relevant regions, experts on terrorism, conflict resolution and post-conflict community rebuilding, the media and the larger citizenry.

The sheer size and seriousness of the issue, including the numerous shades and sub-issues that it comprises, demands that we move away from naïve presumptuous rhetoric and utopian cause-effect relationships, and more towards a long-term policy of eradicating extremism from our midst. Negotiation from a point of disadvantage is not negotiation; it is one-sided compromise; an agreement that rests on quick-sand, and a settlement that Pakistan simply cannot afford.

Read more by Fatima here of follow her on Twitter @zahra7891

WRITTEN BY:
Fatima Zahra Fatima is a graduate student at the University of Southern California, and is passionate about using Communication Management as a medium for solutions to social issues. She tweets as @zahra7891 http://twitter.com/zahra7891

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

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COMMENTS (38)

US CENTCOM | 11 years ago | Reply Dear Shariq and Mehdi, Your comments seem to place a final judgment on the current situation in Afghanistan. But the facts allow us to separate truth from fiction. The truth is that Afghanistan has come a long way since the Taliban rule, and the changes taking place today were simply unimaginable over a decade ago. Let me restate what Gen Joseph F. Dunford Jr., ISAF Commander, said recently: “I think the Taliban are going to come out of the gate [in the 2013 fighting season] and they are going to run into a brick wall — and that brick wall is not going to be the coalition, it’s going to be the Afghan security forces. As the traditional fighting season begins, the insurgency will confront a combined ANSF and Afghanistan Local Police (ALP) force of over 350,000 personnel who are in the lead for security in areas containing over 87 percent of Afghanistan’s population. Afghan forces are leading 80 percent of all conventional operations. Very soon, the ANSF will be responsible for security nationwide. They are steadily gaining in confidence, competence, and commitment. While numerous challenges remain, there are some basic facts that highlight the improved security across the country. Today, almost 8 million children are in school, some 40% of which are girls. Under the Taliban, only one million children were in school, almost all of them boys. In 2002, only 9 percent of Afghans had access to basic health care; now 85 percent can reach medical facilities within an hour. Life expectancy is steadily rising. Under the Taliban, there were only 10,000 fixed phone lines, and today there are over 17 million people using cell phones. Daily life for women has also improved as women hold more than 25 percent of the seats in parliament and are represented in small but growing numbers in the army and police.” Furthermore, we also realize the importance of negating the common threat that exists across the border in the form of TTP. And that’s why we have been emphasizing shared cooperation between the regional partners. We cannot have a safe and stable region without a safe and stable Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is simply imperative for us to work together and combine our efforts against those who are working against our peace objectives. Ali Khan

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3rdRockFromTheSun | 11 years ago | Reply When will Pakistanis realize that for the TTP 'talks' are nothing but a ruse and time to recoup!

Amar | 11 years ago | Reply Well with all the due respect,we all know what have been happening in Karachi, and who exactly are invlove in this, should we all through drones on people in Karachi? or allow US to bomb us?? Similarly why on earth should someone kill our people... Can we as a nation kill any US militant ( Eg: Raymond Davis). I guess Imran Khan is very right that we should stand up to drones... We have to set some new standards that no one should attack our sovereignity like Abbottabad case.

Sajid | 11 years ago | Reply @ Fatima: "One would be hard pressed to find an individual in Pakistan who hasn’t been affected by extremism." . You quoted a figure of 50,000 killed through terrorist attacks in the last decade. To be on the safe side, if total number of people affected by terrorism was ten times that amount, even then 500,000 out of over 160 million is quite small. There are many people who have not been affected by terrorism, myself included. . The one problem that has affected almost all of Pakistan over the last few years is excessive load shedding. Pre elections polling also indicated that this is major cause of concern for Pakistanis. And this the problem that NS intends to solve first. . Once we get a grip on the power crisis, and our industries are up and running, and our youth no longer unemployed we may find a lot less support for the TTP.

Muhammad | 11 years ago | Reply It is impossible for us to get rid of the Taliban Take the US as an example. In the 1960s, the KKK was a vibrant terrorist organization that killed colored individuals, and the US did not get rid of them or their influence militarily. They didn't even have peace talks. But through education, they educated their people and children that basing views on people based on race and color is wrong, and that's how majority of the white Americans lost the KKK's influence and support. We must do the same and talk about religious tolerance and women rights.

Vivek | 11 years ago | Reply @Mehdi You have to discard, which has caused so much misery around the world. In fact, thanks to the internet, the rest of the world is slowly awakening to the horrors caused by this system all over the world. Like in beautiful Stockholm, once a beautiful picture card perfect city, slowly crumbling under the grievances.

Insaan | 11 years ago | Reply @sherrry: peace talks is probably the last option Terrorism brings in billions of dollars in Pakistan every year.

Insaan | 11 years ago | Reply @J: We have-not achieved that ideal state but we are fighting for it at least we have hope of achieving What is an ideal state Pakistanis want to achieve? Who is stopping Pakistanis from getting there. Pakistan is going down the tube. Muslims kill each other with bombs every day.

Insaan | 11 years ago | Reply @Shariq: When USA and NATO have not been able to eradicate Taliban or TTP, how on earth can we do it? USA and NATO forces can eradicate talibans easily, but they have to be very careful so as not to kill innocent civilians. There are good and bad talibans.

Fatima | 11 years ago | Reply @Muhammad Ziad: I agree, enough men have been lost, and women, and children. The path we choose must ensure, to the extent possible, that further loss of life is brought to a halt. Unfortunately, attempting to brush a 10 year conflict under the carpet without a comprehensive policy would do anything but that. What happens when the TTP decides that the terms of agreement are no longer suitable, for whatever reason, and begins attacking innocent people again? We have fought for too long to have the solution be unsustainable and narrow-focused. No Pakistani would like anything more than to end the violence and bloodshed, but I'm afraid the quick fix we're looking for just doesn't exist. Or does it? Given my limited experience I may not be aware of it.

Fatima | 11 years ago | Reply @Anoop: To your first point, "real" Sharia is not carved in stone, it is open and subject to interpretation while maintaining common principles that are more definitive, which is why you would see that most Muslim countries do not have systems that resemble that of Saudi Arabia. Also, Saudi Arabia is a "kingdom", Pakistan is a democratic state, any amendments and changes to the constitution would follow due process and must be acceptable to the public. Therefore "pulling the carpet" from under the TTP is a bit of a stretch. This is not a game of chess, it's a democracy. And regardless, changing the system as a reaction to the TTP is hardly responsible, the system must change or be overhauled as you suggest, when the public moves in that direction. To your last point, I wouldn't say that the Taliban is "good enough" to rule over Afghanistan, but that is something that the people of Afghanistan would decide. The Taliban there are fighting a different war, and I will not claim to know which countries support what in Afghanistan because it is a hot pot of ulterior motives and various modes of financing for a slew of different interests. All I can say is that the Pakistani government and people do not support oppressors of the rights of common people. The article here, on the other hand, refers to the TTP who have committed heinous crimes that would, according to the constitution of Pakistan, be worthy of punishment for treason and terrorism. By their very essence, their actions are against the laws of the country and therefore the ideology upon which those laws are based. Issues of ideology and changes in ideology are a separate debate.

Fatima | 11 years ago | Reply @Riaz Ahmad: The policy of fighting terrorism cannot be, and never is, "either or", one can say that military action "alone" has not helped but that could also mean that the absence of other initiatives alongside has made it less effective. If you're saying let's have peace talks because we no longer have the resources to fight and must weed out the corrupt (which is slightly unrelated) then you are conceding that we must negotiate because we are losing and are nearing a point of surrender, not sure how well that will go or be perceived by the TTP, and how likely they are to negotiate favorable terms. Secondly, yes the people of KPK have been most affected, they deserve every chance at peace that they can get, so do people in other provinces. One would be hard pressed to find an individual in Pakistan who hasn't been affected by extremism. Having said that, we must all think long and hard about what it is that we are negotiating and how that negotiation must be initiated. Saying that "we are not at war" with an entity that has killed over 50,000 Pakistanis is slightly irresponsible is it not? One can acknowledge and respect prior loss of life while making policies for future peace, lest we forget why peace talks are necessary to begin with.

Syed Ali | 11 years ago | Reply I completely agree with bloggers point of view. It is sad that we in Pakistan could never ever became able to elect true democratic set-up by election process. In this election even when one provinces Punjab Was bus in election rest of three provinces were being threatened to be bombed, maimed and terrorized. It shows it would have been gone a little too far if un-democratic forces and failed parties in Karachi would not have closed all road to travel freely.

Manoj Joshi India | 11 years ago | Reply The challenge that every government in Pakistan has and will be facing in the future too as the problem faced with regard to terrorism and religious fundamentalism is rather critical and not easy to be put an end to. The idea of talking to the Taliban or as one might call sharing the olive branch cannot be negated as an entirely wrong strategy although the result of the strategy cannot really be predicted. Nevertheless this will be a step forward taken by the Government of Pakistan, is an attempt to tackle the problem. The Taliban will try taking unfair advantage as is the case whenever any extremist organisation is invited to the negotiation table but to view this with complete pessimism may not be the positive way of analysing the problem. There is an army and the other security forces who will be doing their duty in checking this menace as they have been doing hence there is a ray of hope. The Frank stein Monster is a major menace now within The Islamic Republic of Pakistan but the end of this monster if not very near does not seem to be a distant dream either. The task is challenging but certainly not insurmountable.

Mehdi | 11 years ago | Reply @Riaz Ahmad: KP people are supportive of Taliban hence they wrecked havoc in FATA region? I have read numerous blogs you have written about Pakistan, your narrations are laced with conspiracy theories. US is not a bankrupt nation, hope you get this message.

Mehdi | 11 years ago | Reply @Anoop: Muslims are obliged to live under logical sharia law (equal justice for all citizen)not some man made laws hiding behind the cloak of Islam. Islam is not monolithic, hence there are 73 sects, some are out right violent and some pursuing the path of peace, depending on how you interpret the holy scripture. As a human being I am secular individual born into a Shia family. I struggle everyday with a Muslim identity because of terrorism perpetrated in the name of Islam by individuals who claims to follow the faith. There are many problem plaguing Muslims and Muslim countries, more violence is perpetrated in the name of Islam than any other faith. This is a fact, no denial here. Yes we do have a problem and we need support from others to reform Islam. The support structure is the mirror shown to us. Christianity went through a reform phase, we need that kind of reformation in Islam. Please publish this message as this is important for healthy discourse.

Mehdi | 11 years ago | Reply @Fatima: Govt. can hold talks with TTP, but there is a condition they need to meet. They need to give up their violent ideology before they sit down for the peace talks. This needs to be proven before the talk. In Shia theology, correct implementation of sharia law is possible under GOD anointed representative, if that condition is not met sharia implementation will not be possible. Even today's Iran govt. does not have true shariah. They are on the contrary quite corrupt. If true sharia is correctly implemented, Islamic nation will resemble OECD countries, where they uphold true human values of tolerance, safety net for poor and elderly, good governance and very low level corruption, have conducive environment for women folks to flourish and treating minorities as equal citizen. Unfortunately political Islam has hijacked the true essence of sharia. I hope this message gets published.

Riaz Ahmad | 11 years ago | Reply The first of these concerns is the attempt of parties such as the PTI to appease the TTP by making flagrantly immature statements.............................................. Those who are useless at doing and delivering become critics instead, it is much easier to criticise that to do. Those who voted for PTI heard their massage loud and clear. What you call immature statements, those who are caught in the crossfire in KP, regard it as valuable and viable alternative for bringing about peace. Decade of militarism by Pak army against TTP and USA / Nato against Afghan Taliban have failed to bring about peace. Both the US and Pakistan have become bankrupt in the process. Problems are solved in view of viability of resources, ability, will and practicality, not with utopian wishful thinking or emotional rants. Numerous intelligence agencies of hostile countries will go on financing TTP for the next 100 years; for them this money is mere peanuts, while your country is on the brink of bankruptcy. Your real enemies are the corrupt, who are slowly and systematically destroying you from with in, using your money and your meagre resources, once you root them out, fighting the TTP will become unnecessary..

J | 11 years ago | Reply @Anoop.... Yes Muslims are obliged to live under sharia law, but not by force what TTP have intent to do nor it can be overnight change it has to be a gradual transition if we wish to choose to go that way .... The reason Pakistan was created because we had ideology to have an Islamic Welfare System a democratic one not like Arab Imperialism the one you see these days... We have-not achieved that ideal state but we are fighting for it at least we have hope of achieving which we couldn`t have if we live with India jointly....

Hassan | 11 years ago | Reply @Anoop: Aren’t Muslims obliged to live under the Sharia? If no, then why was Pakistan created? Israel was made for the jewish people and Israel identifies itself as a Jewish state but the country is not run by the jewish theocracy.

Khurram | 11 years ago | Reply @black Jack Dear Sir i think you didnt get my point. The point to whom you are referring to yes it states the same what you have written but the essence was different. I wanted to bring home the point that all we hear about TTP is through an unconfirmed third party and it includes the point of enforcement of Shariah as well. I want all the people to dig further down to know the complete facts. Further it is a dirty world where plots are set years before the actual scene.

kaalchakra | 11 years ago | Reply khurram, sherry, great posts. There can be no peace without justice, and justice must be seen to have been done by all sides. It is time to reach out to Taliban and TTP and jointly build a great Pakistan.

Anoop | 11 years ago | Reply @Fatima: Then why can't Pakistan impose Sharia, the REAL Sharia, and pull the carpet from under the TTP? Also, could you also enlighten me how the TTP version of Sharia is different from what is practiced in, say, Saudi Arabia? I am positive when Sharia is imposed the one will resemble the Taliban one, which is not that different from what is imposed in most Muslim states. I observe you haven't touched upon the Taliban question. If the Taliban are worthy enough to rule over Afghanistan and being supported by Pakistan, why is the same ideology not good enough for Pakistan?

sherrry | 11 years ago | Reply @Khurram: agreed, very rightly said, peace talks is probably the last option we are left with now and i dont think we are an exception in this by any means as every war ends on table, after more then a decade of fighting ,now its time for segregation and discrimination

numbersnumbers | 11 years ago | Reply @Shariq: It is very difficult to fight and eradicate a group like the Taliban in Afghanistan when they can have safe havens in a neighboring country (now who might that be??) where they can openly operate from, untouched by that "sovereign nation"!!

Fatima | 11 years ago | Reply @Shariq: The second last paragraph of the article highlights a few policy measures but I'm not a policy expert so these aren't exhaustive. The article also does not say that peace talks are out of the questions, it only alludes to the fact that peace talks from a position of disadvantage are not a step towards peace, they may well backfire as we have seen. I am criticizing talks at a time when the TTP has clearly displayed that it is not interested in peace, our insistence will not change their stance.

Fatima | 11 years ago | Reply @Parvez: True, I guess that would be part of the influence and recruitment part of the policy, which is often ignored.

Fatima | 11 years ago | Reply @Anoop: Your assumption here is that the Taliban's actions are commensurate with Shariah Law. Which of their actions remotely abides Islamic Law? People may want Shariah Law but that does not equate them wanting the kind the Taliban wishes to impose, those are two separate things so unless the surveys you speak of ask related questions, they're not very reliable in this case.

Muhammad Ziad | 11 years ago | Reply well we cannot afford to loose a lot of our soldiers and good men for no reason. Why don't you go on ahead and fight. Do take your gang of 'ordinary citizenry' along. Not that I want to be sexist but its high time we start sending women platoons to the front lines. Enough men have been lost!

BlackJack | 11 years ago | Reply @Khurram: After blast what we hear is the responsibility being taken by media spokesman of TTP through telephone call. Honestly speaking have we tried to hear their point of view. ete etc This is downright hilarious. When they use the media to agree to peace talks or raise calls for sharia, apparently you think that this is the "genuine" TTP, but when they claim a bomb blast, it is some impostor dying to accuse them of these heinous crimes. So if someone else is blowing up bombs, why isn't the media-friendly TTP (even ET has their standard pic of three happy-go-lucky blokes who look like the Taliban version of a Dil Chahta Hai poster) refuting such claims? And why are they going in for "peace talks" if they are "peaceful" to begin with? The US is supposed to be funding the TTP while now and then killing its leadership too, but nary an eyebrow is raised in askance at this far-fetched plot - it is truly a mad, mad, mad, mad world.

Haider | 11 years ago | Reply Agreed 100%.! Political parties should make it clear either they want dialogue or one sided compromise(as they have been doing for the last 10 years with Talibs and proTalibs.).

Mehdi | 11 years ago | Reply @Shariq: Pakistan boasts having nuclear weapons and 500,000 standing army equipped with modern weaponry. Why can't the army take actions to eliminate terrorist infrastructures and eliminate their fighters. Why can't elected govt implement securalism ? you don't peace with people who want to kill you. Drone all the way.. Talibans are barbaric people. One shouldn't sympthasize with their cause.

Khurram | 11 years ago | Reply Dear Madam Well on certain issues i share the same opinion as you have but with apologies we must understand few basics before going into this discussion. 1. First we get the version of TTP whatever is portrayed to us by whom i would not go into that discussion beacuse that is another story. 2. A debate was also pumped into the media regarding good taliban and bad taliban. 3. After blast what we hear is the responsibility being taken by media spokesman of TTP through telephone call. 4. Honestly speaking have we tried to hear their point of view. ete etc I also agree that there are also iffs and buts to my statements but the purpose was to bring home another aspect of this discussion. we must not forget how this taliban programme was started. who all were involved. In simple terms i want to say that they were Mujahiddin to US against former USSR and now they are extremists. We are made to believe the things the way they want us to believe. It is the age of media warfare and we need to pick the right content in order to get to the right conclusion. Furthermore, have we trialed them in court for the miseries of Pakistanis or have we assumed that they have committed the heinous crimes. Atleast their point of view needs to be listened. In the same context are the TTP leaders whom we know are doing all this on their own or they are the puppets whose strings are in someone's else hands. In the end i also say that terms and conditions of dialogue would matter and all the stake holders must join in to make this fruitful. Well i totally disagree regarding your statement that PPP and ANP etc were targeted by TTP and now IK and NS has to go for dialogue due to this reason. I believe at this stage we dont have much options.

Shariq | 11 years ago | Reply Everybody finds it so easy to criticize talks with Taliban. But do you have a solution for eradicating terrorism? When USA and NATO have not been able to eradicate Taliban or TTP, how on earth can we do it?

Parvez | 11 years ago | Reply Completely agree with you. The one aspect that you have not stressed upon and that even the media is shy to address is the proliferation of the hatcheries ( militant madrassas ) that produce these criminals. The latest one killed was from one such school in the Punjab. Unless this issue is not fixed and the foreign funding from our so called friends, both close and far, is not stopped along with the urgent need of our leaders both political and military to admit ( even in private ) that their previous policies were dead wrong. What is happening right now is that we are treating the symptom and not the disease.

Farwa Naqvi | 11 years ago | Reply Well, the simple reason why IK and NS want to talk to Taliban is coz if they don't the Taliban will hunt them down. See what happened with Ali Haider Gilani... the TTP has hit with devastating effect MQM, ANP and PPP. NS and IK know this. They will never make an open enemy with Taliban.

Anoop | 11 years ago | Reply Well, one side of the argument is if Taliban are good enough for Pakistan to support and impose on the Afghans, why are they not good enough for Pakistan? Another argument is if according to surveys if majority of the people want Sharia imposed in Pakistan and that co-incidentally is the demand of the TTP, why should it be imposed and thereby eliminating the only demand of the TTP? Aren't Muslims obliged to live under the Sharia? If no, then why was Pakistan created?

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