PAKISTAN’S militants have struck again. In their latest attack, nine foreign tourists were killed in the country’s picturesque Gilgit-Baltistan region. Wearing police uniforms, the militants brutally shot dead the tourists and their two local guides. Local Taleban insurgents have accepted responsibility for this act of terrorism to avenge the death of a leader in a drone attack last month. The dead include five Ukrainians, three Chinese and one Russian. The attacks have drawn widespread criticism and anger, but also serve as a grim reminder of the challenges being faced by Pakistan in maintaining security across the country.
For the past decade, Pakistan has been struggling to portray its soft image to counter negative headlines of suicide bombings and political instability. The government of Pervez Musharraf was particularly keen to promote tourism so that foreign tourists could dispel their negative perceptions about Pakistan and help the country shed its pariah status in the international community. However, the latest incident is almost certain to deal a crippling blow to Pakistan’s already struggling tourism industry. Although the country is blessed with beautiful scenery and a diverse culture, the fragile security and political situation has scared away both foreign and domestic tourists. The country is perceived to be highly dangerous and a nurturing ground for various Islamic militant groups. Yet, every year several adventurous tourists headed to the northern areas of Pakistan to climb peaks of the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges. Any drop in the number of tourists in this region would adversely affect the income of locals and lead to unemployment.
Unfortunately, the tremendous potential offered by Pakistan’s tourism industry has not been tapped as the government has only made half-hearted and sporadic efforts to help it flourish. The country has lacked a well-developed and coherent strategy to boost the tourism sector and several initiatives have been marred with mismanagement. Despite the country’s security problems, the United Nations had also pushed for developing tourism in Pakistan as a way to generate income and promote social stability. By announcing 2007 as the year of tourism, Pakistan’s government tried the unconventional approach of promoting tourism first, hoping that it would help to secure stability and reduce extremism from the society.
As shown by the fresh attacks on tourists, the trick has not seemed to work and Pakistan needs to quickly chalk out a plan to counter the threat posed by militancy. Such incidents are only expected to further compromise Pakistan’s status in the global community and adversely affect its friendly relations with other countries. The authorities need to identify the social, cultural and religious factors that drive a person to adopt extremist ways. There is no doubt that militancy presents a very challenging and real threat to Pakistan’s sovereignty and global image. The physical threat posed by militants needs to be dealt with counter-insurgency strategies, negotiations with flexible militant groups and a stable civilian administration. By fully addressing the security concerns, the gap between citizens and the state can be bridged and public support can be rallied to root out the menace of militancy in a more aggressive manner.
