Addressing the root cause: Strong action urged against militants’ apologists

Senators call for a systematic strategy to root out militancy

ISLAMABAD:

Members of the upper house on Monday demanded “serious action against the sympathisers and apologists” of militants in an effort to address the root causes of militancy.

While taking part in the debate on a motion moved to discuss the mass-killing of schoolchildren in Peshawar last week, the upper house members cautioned against complacency over the gruesome deaths. The Peshawar attack should not be forgotten by adding it to the long list of such tragedies.

Instead, members of the house endorsed measures aimed at framing and implementing an effective and systematic strategy against terrorism. The senators said that action should be taken against the sympathisers and apologists of Taliban, who have accepted responsibility for several deadly attacks in the country.

PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar said unmatched sacrifices of innocent children in the barbaric tragedy in Peshawar had for the first time created genuine hope of national unity across the politically divide to fight and finish the militants. “To honour the memory of the martyrs, we must seize the day,” he said.

Babar said that if there were any doubts in the mind of anyone about the identity and agenda of the militants, they should be dispelled by the Peshawar carnage and the admission by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

He called for the immediate ouster of Maulana Aziz from Lal Masjid, the reclamation of the mosque and declaration of the TTP as a state enemy, holding accountable its supporters and apologists. He also demanded to implement the 2013 legislation to banish the re-incarnation of banned outfits like LeT behind the façade of humanitarian work, swiftly move for the cancellation of Lakhavi’s bail and address the Mumbai attack concerns, and demolish the militant infrastructure lock stock and barrel.

“It is not possible to keep snakes in your backyard and instruct them to bite only the neighbours. Today unfortunately we are reaping what we sowed in the past,” he said.

He said the people like Moulana Aziz who promote militancy and violence against the state must be exposed and prosecuted.

Warning against hot pursuit (arresting a criminal suspect on private property without a warrant) in Afghanistan, he said it will not only spoil relations with Afghanistan which were on an upward trajectory but also gave India a justification to do the same.

Mir Hasil Bizenjo of Balochistan said we cannot win this war if the governments and political parties in Pakistan and Afghanistan are not on the same page.

Tahir Hussain Mashhadi appealed for the public execution of the culprits involved in this barbaric act.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2014.