JUBAIL, SAUDI ARABIA: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the unprecedented rise in terrorist violence in Pakistan, reaffirming the world body’s support for the country in combating terrorism. He was referring to sectarian attacks in Quetta and Swat, wherein at least 117 people died, while another 235 got injured. In the Quetta blast, not only the targeted victims but also police officers, journalists, media technicians and rescue workers were killed.
So, what is next for Pakistan? Should we wait for the next blast in some other part of the country, or do we need to get support from the world body to combat the menace of terrorism? In my opinion, there is a case for asking for such support as we are unable to identify, arrest, prosecute and punish these terrorists. Either we are too cowardly, or perhaps, are inadvertently supporting them or are completely confused and do not know what to do. As per a report by the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, just the last year has seen a 58 per cent rise in sectarian violence, wherein, the hot spots are Karachi, Quetta, Gilgit, Kurram Agency, Parachinar and Peshawar. The Pandora’s box of sectarianism was opened by the General Ziaul Haq regime, specifically for the former president’s short-lived goals and no one, since then, has been able to put the genie back in the bottle.
During the 1990s, security agencies tried to control the violence by taking decisive measures against sectarian groups and outfits. But today, the ineffectiveness of security agencies tells another story — non-seriousness, indifference or a nod to such violence. No government can permit such brutality to continue against its citizens, whether it is in the name of religion, sect, language or ethnicity.
Regrettably, we see no visible action wherein, sectarian party leaders and workers are nabbed, their communication facilities are disrupted and their finances are dried out. Therefore, why not call for help from those who are not party to any particular religion or sect marred in this conflict? No one can survive in such a vacuum when the writ of the state has all but vanished; someone has to fill this gap. At present, these sectarian groups are filling the gap; why not acquire outside help to restore the state’s writ?
Masood Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2013.
