If we fail to defeat the cancer of terrorism, Pakistan faces the deadly prospect of a civil war.
ISLAMABAD: Terrorism poses an existential threat to the state of Pakistan. We are fighting a war of survival. The response of our rulers to the scourge is spineless at best. Whenever a suicide bombing takes place, government officials respond with the same mantra and stereotypical reaction. The half-hearted response includes condemnations, cursing the murderers, lowering the flag at half-mast in special cases, announcement of compensation to the injured and financial support to the bereaved families and a few days of mourning. Senior functionaries of the state compete with one another in offering condolences and in expressing their resolve to defeat the terrorists. But since all this is talk, and talk is cheap, the reaction is probably amusing to the terrorists.
If we fail to defeat the cancer of terrorism, Pakistan faces the deadly prospect of a civil war. The best way to fight terrorism, therefore, is to weed it out from its roots. This means saying no to the breeding grounds of terrorism; saying no to political alliances with extremist groups; saying no to hypocrisy and to hatred; no to radicalisation in society and no to education which teaches hatred and intolerance.
Ambassador (retd) BA Malik
Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2013.
