Action in Punjab

For too long the state has averted its gaze from the undeniable fact that militancy has spread to every corner of the country, instead maintaining the impression that action was only needed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas. The Gulshan-e-Iqbal bombing should have changed that mindset and there are some early signs that it has done so. Soon after the attack, the ISPR announced a province-wide operation. Since then hundreds of suspects have been detained from various parts of Punjab, with the majority released on bail. But there are signs that the action is not unified. Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah initially denied any operation was taking place and then said what was happening was nothing new. Yet his statements elude the fact that for the first time the action taking place in the province is not under the purview of the Counter Terrorism Department. That this is not an action that has all the stakeholders on board together was further strengthened by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chairing a security meeting in Lahore while the military leadership made its decisions in Rawalpindi. For the operation to be successful, all relevant parties need to show a united front and not act at cross-purposes.

There has been further confusion about who is taking part in the operation. Initial reports suggested that the Rangers may be called in, though the provincial government has since denied it. Sanaullah also refused to accept that there were any no-go areas in the province, though once again the scale of the operation would seem to contradict his words. Notably, the operation is mostly restricted to southern Punjab. The PML-N has always treated Lahore as its protectorate and is loath to admit militancy may have taken root in the city, or in northern Punjab as a whole. Additionally, it has often relied on the same base of support from which militant groups draw sympathisers. Now, though, such parochial concerns need to be put aside to prevent regular occurrence of attacks as horrific as the one at the park. For this to happen, the civilian and military leadership will have to show a joint front and stop undermining each other. Above all there needs to be clarity of purpose and resolve. This means      a show of basic honesty about what is happening on the ground so that the citizenry can be engaged in the struggle and not be left in the dark again.