Hard times a’coming

As if the times weren’t difficult enough already, even harder ones are, it appears, roaring in at the speed of light. The lethal combination of a desperately harsh winter combined with the unholy machinations of the new TTP leader, Mullah Fazlullah, or ‘Mullah Radio’ as he is better known to some, bodes well for no one at all: least of all the people of Pakistan who have, voting by a silent majority, allowed the TTP to rise to unbelievable heights, to wield unacceptable power and to wreak mayhem whenever and wherever they so choose and, when the mood takes them, they most certainly do!

Everything — make that ‘almost’ everything — that could be written about Mullah Fazlullah has, since his rather surprising election as head honcho of the TTP, has already been printed but what has — for reasons unknown but which can be guessed at, the main one being ‘fear’ — been glossed over, is the indisputable fact that when this guy puts his mind and his henchmen to it, the ‘job’ most certainly gets done. Be it strangling the living daylights out of Swat for a couple of years or ordering schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai to be unceremoniously shot in the head and that, remember, was when his control was basically restricted to Swat and its immediately adjoining areas alone. Since absconding over the border into neighbouring Afghanistan, however, he has had time to consolidate his aims and intentions. It is reported that the Mehsuds, traditional leaders of the TTP, are not too happy — to put it lightly — with Mullah Fazlullah’s rise to the very top of the table and, with luck, there could very well be some TTP infighting over this which would, one hopes, distract, at least temporarily, their no doubt bloody plans for the Talibanisation of Pakistan. This being the month of Muharram, which has seen Ashura processions on the move, what can one say other than ‘Shia beware’ — along with anyone else, Christian, Sikh, Hindu, Parsee and others not upholding, steadfastly and publicly, Mullah Radio’s version of religion.

The arrival of an early winter could, quite conceivably, slow down TTP plans and act to hinder possible infighting in mountainous terrain and, naturally, could also disrupt any possible army action against the TTP which, as the current government is still rumbling on about ‘peace talks’, is highly unlikely to be on the agenda unless General Kayani decides to retire with a massive bang!

Heavy snow would, naturally, limit the movements of the mountain-based TTP but will not (other than briefly as there are always ways and means and even pigeons) restrict their communication with the plains-based TTP, of which there are many and increasing by the day, for long and will not prevent an escalation of violence in any place and in anyway the TTP so choose and the one thing they do not choose is peace. This they have, even under the relatively restrained leadership of the now passed on Hakimullah Meshud, made perfectly clear and Mullah Radio will not alter this. It is peace on the TTP terms or bloody chaos let loose and we all know, or should know, which of these it will be.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2013.

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