New wave of lawlessness and the intrusion of militants in the restive Swat district is making ripples. Of late, the killing of a school van driver in an ambush, which also injured a number of students on-board, in Gulibagh area of Charbagh tehsil led to a standoff, and people poured out to protest in an unprecedented number. This awakening is most welcome and has, at least, sent down the message that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has no room for gun-culture and vandalism. The 40-hour sit-in on part of the deceased’s family stirred the entire province in an uproar, and literally many towns and cities — especially Mingora, Haripur and Battagram — were on the edges as people took to streets demanding an end to militants’ making inroads.
The backlash against militants is, in fact, uniting the body politick. It is a good omen, and it is great to see that even political elements who were, otherwise, shunned for their radical inclinations are rallying for a peaceful society, and their commitment to stand up against militancy and any kind of upheaval is appreciated. The Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement, Swat Olasi Pasoon, Awami National Party and the Jamaat-i-Islami, apart from the ruling Tehreek-e-Insaaf, are on the same page in demanding a serene order for the collective betterment of the province and country. The point is who is behind the mess, and what forces of inertia are clandestinely supporting the disgruntled elements to stage a comeback, and why? This is where public representatives should huddle together to stitch an equation of consensus and find the way forward to resist the death trap.
Politics is on the cusp of destruction. Rising instability, coupled with economic slowdown and untamed inflation, is eating into the vitals of the country. In its midst is the muscle-flexing of political bias as the government leaves no stone unturned to witch-hunt and book the opposition. The arrest of Senator Azam Swati is a case in point, and is enough to push the simmering tensions over the brink. What is desired is a sensible approach and not jingoism.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 15th, 2022.
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