Despite Islamabad’s willingness to initiate a dialogue with Taleban, prospects for peace with the militants are dim. The scenario has drastically changed over the past week following two high-profile attacks that left 39 people dead, marking a bloody return for the militants.
Apparently irritated by the lack of cohesion among the civilian policymakers, the Pakistan Army has entered the scene in retaliation following Taleban attacks. This should not be seen as a shift in army’s policy or any rift between the military and civilian leadership. The army operation in North Waziristan is imperative from a defense point of view. However, if the civilian leadership does not swing into action to tackle the issue as promised by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, then keeping in view the country’s checkered political history one could expect anything.
The hike in Taleban attacks in the past few days shows that the militants are either not at all interested in peace talks or trying to inflict as much damage as they could in order to negotiate from a position of strength. With Maulana Samiul Haq — often referred to as the “Father of Taleban” — backing out from his role as the peace broker, the government has to act in haste before it is too late.
Initially political leaders of all hues appeared to be one the same page on the issue of Taleban and terrorism. This was seen as a healthy sign in Pakistan’s politics. But the situation has dramatically changed, as most political parties are at loggerheads over the issue.
The recent attacks on army personnel have elicited mixed responses from the politicians. Many express the fear that if timely action is not taken against the militants, it may demoralize the security forces.
On the other hand, many called for an environment conducive to talks without further delay. The Pakistan People’s Party led by former President Asif Ali Zardari is also divided on the issue. Its young patron, Bilawal Bhutto (if his tweets are to be taken seriously) opposes the talks tooth and nail. On the contrary, the PPP troubleshooter, Rehman Malik, advocates a reconciliatory approach.
Amid this ruckus, Sharif finds himself in a quandary over this issue. Interestingly, his own Cabinet is sharply divided over this issue. This was evident is a recent Cabinet meeting that disagreed with a draft national policy to deal with the situation.
The army action has made the entire situation more volatile. This time around the military cannot be blamed, as it is the indecisiveness of politicians that has aggravated the situation. It is obvious that following the military action, Taleban will retaliate thus adding to the woes of the masses that are caught in the crossfire.
The current situation calls for a national consensus to eliminate terrorism. The sooner, the better. Further delay will only embolden the militants. If the politicians do not rise to the occasion, they will no longer be in a position to pass the buck to “other forces” in case something unexpected takes place. As far as Pakistanis are concerned — who are already fed up with soaring prices of essential commodities — they just want peace no matter how it is achieved.
