After hearing the news of the murder, the enraged people of Hangu attacked the house of a TTP leader.
ISLAMABAD: The murder of Fareed Khan, a member of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly, should serve as an eye-opener for those who believe and profess that the war against terrorism is not our war. It is no doubt an over-simplification of the problem on the part of certain political leaders to assert that the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan can bring about peace in K-P and in the country. The motive for the murder has yet to be established but reportedly, the deceased MPA had been receiving threats from a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The reaction of the local population of Hangu at this gruesome murder shows that militancy can be dealt with effectively with the cooperation of the people. After hearing the news of the murder, the enraged people of Hangu attacked the house of a TTP leader. While taking the law into one’s own hands may not be advisable, it still shows that the people of the area know the hideouts of the militants and they can take stern action against them on their own if they have the motivation and the means to do so. This incident is also a pointer towards the fact that the chances of achieving peace through negotiations are dim. There are many complications that need to be addressed by formulating a pragmatic strategy.
Dr Najeeb A Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, June 7th, 2013.
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