Taliban: the good, the bad, the divided?
The government must recognise that the TTP is in violation of the law of the land and needs to be taken to task.
PHOTO: EXPRESS/ FILE
Since the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) reared its ugly head in Pakistan in 2007, it has done nothing but wreak havoc, although its sympathisers will have you believe one can still make a distinction between ‘good Taliban’ and the ‘bad Taliban’. It now appears that despite vehement denials on the part of the TTP, there may be divisions within the ranks though one should treat this news with caution as it is not a group one can trust. And for good reason: it reneges on deals and has zero value for life. Its leaders have risen from the dead, like Hakeemullah Mehsud who was presumed dead in 2010 in a drone strike (and once before that) but is at present leader of the TTP. He is said to be losing control to his deputy, Waliur Rehman, who is believed to be more amenable to a peace deal with Pakistan, similar to those struck by Taliban factions in North and South Waziristan, respectively. This report first surfaced in December last year but was denied a few weeks later by both men who appeared together in a 45-minute video in which they rubbished talks of a rift between them and said that they were open to talks with the Pakistan government (provided “it was free of foreign pressure”) and added that the laying down arms was out of the question. However, a recent news report says that the two leaders “are at each other’s throats”. “You will soon hear that one of them has eliminated the other,” a TTP commander is quoted in the story as saying.
One terrorist outfit’s loss could be Pakistan’s gain. Rifts within the TTP leadership have occurred before but the government has not used them to its advantage, preferring to negotiate with the TTP, thinking that they will be able to reason with a group of men incapable of reason. In the process, thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives. The government must recognise that the TTP is in violation of the law of the land and needs to be taken to task. There can be no negotiation with terrorists on issues that concern Pakistan’s sovereignty and the safety of its citizens. The government is the highest authority and everyone must take its cue from it; the matter is that simple.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2013.
One terrorist outfit’s loss could be Pakistan’s gain. Rifts within the TTP leadership have occurred before but the government has not used them to its advantage, preferring to negotiate with the TTP, thinking that they will be able to reason with a group of men incapable of reason. In the process, thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives. The government must recognise that the TTP is in violation of the law of the land and needs to be taken to task. There can be no negotiation with terrorists on issues that concern Pakistan’s sovereignty and the safety of its citizens. The government is the highest authority and everyone must take its cue from it; the matter is that simple.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2013.