Will Peshawar school-attack change national narrative of Pakistan? The unprecedented savagery of Taliban’s killing 141 school children in Peshawar Army public school caused outraged across Pakistan. Will Pakistan’s swift retaliation against the terrorists by bombing Taliban Areas and executing five terrorist held in Mushraf and GHQ attacks lead to paradigmal shift in policy or prove to be merely a retributory act like past? Scepticism and cynicism both exist for legitimate reasons when look back at Pakistan’s past record of dealing with terrorism over decades. Pakistan shadowy role in fighting terrorism already strained relations with US, Afghanistan and India. However, recently army mood against Taliban has raised some hopes that it might show some seriousness and end its distinction among different extremist groups it has maintained over the years for using them to seek military parity with India and sphere of political influence in Afghanistan. Many argue that attack in Army public school is not new or first one in Pakistan since Taliban has attacked schools, mosques, shrines, churches, GHQ, Air force, Naval Basis, minorities, slit throats of army personnel, killed children, women and politicians but nothing could move Pakistan in spite of their savageries to take decisive action to eradicate threat of Terrorism. Why only school children killings will change perception if killings of army General, army officers and soldiers or other extreme forms of terrorism couldn’t change before? Therefore, cynicism exists about present military revenge that might end with after some retributory acts but not fundamental shift in policy. Unless there is shift in national narrative premised in security threat to ideological borders of country from larger neighbor India, nothing will change and business will be as usual after sometime. In spite of all efforts currently being made to generate national consensus against the terrorism by civil and military leadership yet to be judged through their focus and acts. Because international community is not ready to believe unless there is clear shift in polices demonstrated towards other terrorist and Jihadi groups active internally against Shia, minorities and externally against India and Afghanistan. Publicly, Islamabad always denied its any connections or support with Jihadi groups but privately it views them as strategic partner and assets. Though PM has announced to end this distinction between good and bad Taliban but post-Peshawar attack developments do not suggest when looking at the Urdu media discourse that is painting situation in such a manner by claiming that attackers were uncircumcised that suggested that attackers were Hindus and meant Taliban were not involved in it. These views have echoed by Pakistan MI ex-retired Brigadier Ghazanfar on one Pakistan TV channel claiming that Indian top official had meeting with Taliban spokesman Khurasani in Afghanistan prior to the attack that further endorsed Urdu mainstream media discourse that is shifting from internal terrorism to blame external enemy that supports national narrative that Pakistan faces existential threat from India. While very same day after attack Pakistan ATC released Rehman Lakhvi, main culprit of Mumbai terrorist attack leaves no illusion that Pakistan is not willing to end distinction between good and bad or inclined to consider any change in its national narrative that has been root-cause of problem. There is no mention of other Jihadi groups in the national Action plan that All Parties Committee prepared to eradicate menace of terrorism. Therefore, concerns have been expressed by many politicians including Maulana Fazalu Rehman, Asif Ali Zardari, ANP Senator Zahid Khan that why there is no mention of banned organizations or other Jihadi groups in that NAP creates cynicism about the effectiveness and seriousness of the government to fight terrorism in holistic manner. Some argue that if US $26 billion couldn’t change the focus and convince military leaders to end their distinction among these groups and continue sheltering and supporting Haqqani or Mullah Omer how just Peshawar school attack can convince them to change the focus and policies on Jihadi groups and national narrative. Pakistan military establishment remains convinced that ongoing chaos of terrorism in Pakistan is their manufactured and manageable and these groups are not beyond their control. And idea of giving up the narrative may impact their policy of challenging India in Kashmir and controlling Afghanistan and internally may weaken military control on political power. Therefore, they always advance argument of victimhood by mentioning terrorism related casualties to convince international community about their seriousness but politically they are in state of denial accepting the seriousness of threat of terrorism by calling it external conspiracies to disintegrate a nuclear Islamic Sate of Pakistan that has nothing to do with homegrown terrorism and Jihadi ideology that are yet seen as ideological and strategic partners in war against Pakistan’s enemies. Pakistan leadership needs to understand that enemy is within, not outside and focus has to be within to defeat it.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 13:51:13 +0000
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