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hyber Pakhtunkhwa currently faces existential threats from extremist violence as well as rampant corruption. The crises are unfortunately of our own making so that there are no easy solutions. The province has struggled for years to establish a stable, functioning government — one that can ensure the security of all its citizens.
Progress has been slow and frequently interrupted. Many communities live in fear amid anarchy. Crime, including violent crime, often goes unpunished.
The governance failure is evident in many ways. Law enforcement agencies are starved of resources, undertrained and demoralised.
Police and levies often lack essential resources including personnel, technology and operational autonomy. As such they are ill-equipped to deal with the rapidly escalating threats. Their lack of capacity to respond to an emergency is causing the citizens to give up on them.
Corruption is a malignancy that erodes the core of democratic values and functional public management. It is like a siphoning device, transferring resources away from public safety, social services and community development into private hands. This diversion of resources has aggravated instability among the people. Ignoring the citizens’ dissatisfaction with the state of affairs is a recipe for disaster.
The poor governance environment is a perfect recruiting ground for terrorist organisations operating in the region. As government institutions do not deliver basic protection and services, impoverished and disenfranchised youths become susceptible to radicalisation. Groups such as the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan have long exploited these grievances. Ineffective governance and the absence of legitimate and meaningful political forums have created a vacuum which groups the TTP exploit, attracting those who feel abandoned by the state and its institutions.
The situation is complicated by actual – and perceived – links between the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and groups like the TTP. Though the PTI likes to portray itself as reformist party, its opportunistic alliances with extremist elements and its tolerance of their ways cast a long shadow of doubt on its ability and willingness to maintain law and order. The PTI leaders must realise that any perception of validation of militant hardliners by the party heading the government erodes much-needed public support. The implication is that political expediency should not eclipse the rule of law.
Poverty is a powerful multiplier of the law and order crisis. The lure of extremist ideologies finds fertile ground in a region where unemployment is dangerously high and the economic opportunities for young people are limited. Economic deprivation nurtures extremism. This is not a separate issue; it is inextricably tangled with the issues of poor governance and corruption. When citizens see that their governments are not providing essential services and economic development are not provided by their governments, they feel abandoned and betrayed. This creates more space for extremist groups that exploit it by providing a warped sense of belonging, sometimes coupled with financial rewards.
The poor governance environment makes the region a perfect recruiting ground for terrorists. As government institutions do not deliver basic protection and services, impoverished and disenfranchised youths become increasingly susceptible to radicalisation.
Poverty in many regions is more than a snapshot; it’s an intergenerational curse. With no education, upward mobility or social networks, the adolescents grow into adults who can see no bright future. This makes them easy targets for recruitment for terrorism. Such organisations exploit the weaknesses of poor neighborhoods, which become breeding grounds for radicalisation. Ineffective governance that fails to provide sufficient education and job opportunities can thus affect long-term socio-economic development. In the short term, it effectively contributes to violence and instability.
The current situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa highlights the destructive intersection of poverty, poor governance and corruption. Until those in a position to make positive changes actually do so, the cycle of poverty and the conditions conducive for terrorism will persist. The political and social ramifications of this are far-reaching — reverberating beyond individual communities and their social fabric, threatening regional stability and security. Poverty is perhaps the biggest battle front. A prosperous and resilient society can better withstand assaults by those who look to leverage its vulnerabilities.
The socioeconomic challenges are made worse by political blindness. In unethical workers, political loyalty tends to undermine the integrity of state as well as political institutions. This creates an environment where corruption festers — where officials, from the highest to the lowest echelons, prioritise obedience to powerful leaders instead of fulfilling their duty to the people. When law enforcement agencies rotted with corruption, public trust is eroded, further normalising violence and disorder.
Prohibitory measures alone will not solve Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s governance crisis. This demands a more resolute commitment to anti-corruption efforts that will salvage credibility for government institutions and law enforcement. Efforts for economic development are a major component of the rebuilding of the region’s social fabric. The vicious cycle of poverty and terrorism can be broken by offering young people access to education and skill-development opportunities.
The nexus between poor governance and corruption and economic conditions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a complex one. The implications of potential cooperation between a leading political party and terrorist groups are infinitely more dangerous. If the political dynamics are not understood and addressed through genuine structural reform, the region will remain mired in a worsening state of law and order, with escalating violence and instability. The systemic malaise requires urgent and coordinated action on all fronts to create the conditions suite to making Khyber Pakhtunkhwa free of violence and terror.
The writer is the central information secretary of the Awami National Party. He can be reached at anpspoxgmail.com.