I do not, however, agree with his idea about automatic disappearance of disease in the short run.
LAHORE: This is apropos M Ziauddin’s article of November 27 “The curious case of Chaudhry Nisar”. The writer has hit the nail right on its head. He has not only diagnosed the true cause of terrorism correctly but has also prescribed the correct cure. In his words, the cause is: “There are said to be at least 40 well-armed and well-funded militant groups thriving in Punjab, which are said to provide the needed social and physical infrastructure to the TTP to carry out its murderous campaigns all over the country.” The cure for the disease (again in his words) is “Take care of these jihadis and the TTP would disappear on their own, without having to mount a military operation against them.” This is a long-term cure for a long-term disease.
I do not, however, agree with his idea about automatic disappearance of disease in the short run. The terrorists have not appeared all of a sudden. We have overlooked the spread of sectarianism for too long and allowed the cancer to spread its tentacles in some parts of the country too deeply to be cured just by cutting the supply of jihadis at the source. Now surgery is required in areas that are in complete control of terrorists. Cutting the supply of jihadis at source is, however, necessary to prevent resurgence of the disease and its spread in the new areas.
Habib ur Rahman
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2013.
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