Tolerating extremism

Of the 20 points that made up the seminal National Action Plan, at least two are more honoured in the breach than in the observance. One calls for throttling terror financing and the other forbids functioning of banned outfits under different names. An illustrative example of how these two key points are grossly glossed over is how one group — suspected of being linked to extremism — is being allowed to function without let or hindrance. It’s hardly a secret that the Jamaatud Dawa’s (JuD) charity wing has set up shop in the heart of the federal capital to collect donations for the Kashmir cause. The JuD is the political wing of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), an entity listed under the UN’s list of terrorist organisations. On its part, Islamabad has also placed the JuD on a watch list. But regardless of this status, its welfare wing, the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation is seen not only raising funds but also carrying out other routine activities nationwide in full public gaze. The organisation appears to be cashing in on the sympathy wave generated by Indian atrocities in Kashmir to conveniently put itself at the vanguard of a movement in Pakistan backing the repressed Kashmiris. One of its volunteers claimed that the organisation currently is not subject to any restrictions and that whatever it was doing in Islamabad was with the administration’s permission.

The fact that the authorities are looking the other way here is worrisome. The ease with which such outfits are collecting cash from the public indicates the lack of will on the part of authorities to crack down on extremist organisations and their sources of funding. This gives credence to the view that the PML-N government is not amenable to going after extremist groups of all hues, which does little for our image abroad. New Delhi has been baying for Hafiz Saeed’s blood for years for LeT’s alleged hand in the 2008 Mumbai carnage. Pakistan will do well to rein the activities of the organisation (with a name change) he heads till at least the Mumbai investigation comes to a logical end.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2016.

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