‘Sincerity is all Pakistan needs as defeating terrorism not impossible’

Defeating terrorism in Pakistan is not at all impossible. All it calls for is resolute will and a government with a firm consciousness about the masses’ welfare.

These views were expressed unanimously by a civil society group, the Pakistan Women’s Foundation for Peace (PWFP), at a seminar sponsored by the organisation at the Karachi Press Club on Monday afternoon.

In her highly erudite and incisive discourse, Nargis Rehman, president of PWFP, traced the genesis of terrorism in Pakistan to 1980 when, according to her, Pakistan became a surrogate for proxy wars. 

But after 9/11, she stated, the dimension was altered to include not a particular group or sect, but the state and the people of Pakistan. Not only did it become a victim of terrorism but it also gathered the reputation of an exporter of terrorism and came to be included among the 10 most dangerous places in the world. Around 10 operations against terrorism were undertaken, the last one being the successful Operation Zarb-e-Azb, said Rehman.

She then came to the horrendous Army Public School massacre in Peshawar that claimed nearly 150 lives and left scores injured.

As a result of that, she said, the prime minister devised the National Action Plan (NAP) which, she felt, was not a very well thought out document.

Rehman said that madrasas, some of which were known nurseries of terrorism, have grown in numbers, reaching 26,350.

“Terrorism in Pakistan has cost us 50,000 precious lives and Rs118.4 billion in losses to the economy,” she stated. 

She also cited a ‘trust deficit’ which was so visible in all segments of society and was fracturing national unity. This tendency, she added, had to be conquered so that we could put up a united front against our enemies.

Rehman also condoled the death of an ace founder of the women’s movement in Pakistan, Nigar Ahmed, in Lahore.

Internationally acknowledged journalist Zubeida Mustafa was of the view that terrorism was flourishing as the human rights of the citizens were being trampled upon. 

Terrorism, she said, could be nipped provided the government was serious and earnest in having the rules pertaining to the security of citizens implemented in all faithfulness. “Patronising criminals must be stopped,” said Mustafa.

Aurat Foundation President Mehnaz Rehman, in her highly analytical and mature assessment of the situation, said, “Gaping disparity between the haves and the have-nots is the root cause of the problem.” 

She called for electoral reforms that would make it as possible for the marginalised and the financially challenged to contest national elections as that would put an end to the unhealthy tendency whereby only the rich and the influential, as well as their kith-and-kin, usurp positions of influence and the poor are left at the receiving end. “We need rulers with a socialistic bent of mind,” she said and asserted that health, education, and social welfare were the sole responsibility of the state and that the private sector or businesses must not be allowed into the domain as their sole objective was to rake in money and multiply profits. 

Human welfare was none of their concern, she opined. Safety of person was the inherent right of every citizen and the state was duty-bound to provide it, said Rehman.

Rehana Afroze said that enemies always exploited differences. God, she said, had commanded rulers to look after the rights of the people but our rulers seemed to be least bothered. Monetary compensation, she added, could never be a substitute for an innocent life gone.

Noted poetess Dr Fatima Hassan said, “Terrorism is a cancer to our society.” Lamenting the state of education and security facilities, she said that even children were not safe while in the schools. She said it was absolutely shameful that women were being smuggled to Afghanistan and quoted press reports to that effect.

Dr Hassan quoted a recent moot on regional languages and said she was shocked to hear from among the delegates that if their language was not made the national language, they would secede from Pakistan.

Dr Sabiha Akhlaque recited two of her verses, on the way Pakistan’s resources were being wangled away by a big power all in the name of development and on account of Pakistan’s  “shameful servility” to that power. 

Dr Habiba Hassan, former representative of Amnesty International in Pakistan, said that the militants had gone very strong because we did not speak up.

“We should be above religion and speak up against injustices utterly without consideration of religion or sects. We, the people, can bring about a revolution,” she stated, and in this context, cited the French and Russian revolutions.

The seminar then presented a 12-point resolution. Some of the points were:

- The priority of the federal and provincial governments should be internal security, more than infrastructural projects. 

- The NAP should be reinvigorated and should work in tandem with Radd-ul-Fasaad.

- Ulema of all persuasions must join hands to promote the true spirit of Islam publicly condemning terrorism, terrorist groups, and suicide bombings.

- Inequalities between the haves and the have-nots must go. Public representatives, be they in the government, the army, or the bureaucracy, must conduct themselves as the representatives of a poor nation loaded with 200 billion dollars of debt liabilities (as of March 31, 2016). No wasteful expenditures should be allowed on their perks, privileges, or salaries. The VIP culture should be nipped as it was immoral and anti-people.

- For Pakistan to be a sovereign nation, it is vital that citizens be resourced, empowered with education, health, safe drinking water, security of person, livelihood, with their votes being honestly counted, and their representatives be allowed to function as public servants and not as anachronistic Sultans.

- Banned outfits should be banned both literally and figuratively. Hate literature should be burnt publicly. The resolution was unanimously carried.