Mastung incident has stunned Pakistan. Death of more than 125 people in one incident after 22 martyred in Peshawar, five in Bannu, in the last four days, is nothing but a national tragedy, and it has brought us back to square one. It looks like the replay of 2013 elections, when political leaders and election rallies were attacked.
There is no doubt that we are in a state of war with terrorists, and holding of the third election since 2008 in such a situation shows nation's resolve to fight and win this battle at any cost. It is also true that things had improved in all these years. We are still far from setting our priorities as internal political conflicts could cause a colossal loss.
All this has made the post-July 25 scenario far more challenging for the future leadership and government. It requires a vision and capacity, something missing in our leadership for long.
Imran Khan, Shahbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Asfandyar Wali, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Sirajul Haq and Baloch – all have far more greater responsibility on their shoulder than the role they had played so far. When the nation needs them united, they stand divided. The leadership looked confused when it comes to eradicating extremism.
Irrespective of who wins the next election and who becomes the prime minister, the future government will have to evolve consensus on national issues. It must have the vision and capacity to overcome the biggest challenge.
Let the future parliament formulate foreign and national security policies after a national debate. This should be followed by engaging the military leadership too, as their input is utmost important, as they are on the ground.
Pakistan cannot afford any more political confrontation and it is important to defuse the rising political tension as it will not help any party which thinks it is in a position to form the next government.
But, if one goes through their election programme, manifesto, speeches and interviews of the national leaders, none of them convincingly comes up with specific solutions.
With only few days left in polls, one can hope and pray that something like Mastung is not repeated. We can't even afford more attacks like Peshawar and Bannu, what to talk of Mastung-like tragedy.
Third election in succession since 2008 now round-the-corner and only eight days left for campaign and 10 days for polling, solution lies in political stability as political instability would be a disaster.
The two last governments of the PPP and the PML-N, despite being criticised for their failures on many grounds, could take credit for taking initiatives like operation in Swat, Malakand, North Waziristan and Karachi.
It is true that the army played a leading role in combating terrorism, the political leadership not only evolved consensus in the country to remove confusion over whether it is ‘our war or someone else’.
While thousands of our soldiers and officers offered sacrifices fighting terrorists, the political leaders and workers fell victim to terrorist attacks. Through suicide attacks and target killings, terrorists tried to unnerve the political leadership.
The PPP, ANP and MQM in particular were targeted while they also made attempt to kill JUI-F leaders as well as Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Akram Durrani, who had survived attacks in the recent past.
The ANP in particular remained main target of terrorists, and many of its leaders, candidates and workers were martyred. It appears that 2018 would not be different for the ANP. With the killing of its provincial assembly candidate, Haroon Bilour, a strong message was given to the ANP, that its candidates and leaders were still on the list of terrorists.
Pakistan has come a long way after Benazir Bhutto's assassination, who was Pakistan's most popular leader after Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. She was assassinated in 2007. Mastung has some similarities with October 18, 2007 attack on the PPP procession, in which some 150 people were killed.
So, the national security has become our biggest challenge and all this requires political stability in the country, something missing for long. Pakistan needs unity like the one shown after massacre of children at the Army Public School Peshawar. More importantly the future government has to come out with a solution, which one could not find after reading the programme and manifestoes of all mainstream parties.
What will be national security and foreign policy of the future government, is also not very clear, if one reads the election promises of the PML-N, PTI and PPP. More or less, it is vague. How they will deal with United States, India and Afghanistan.
National security also requires national consensus and this again will be quite a challenge for future government.
So, the biggest challenge for the future government would be to defuse political tension, as it could allow terror networks to regroup and attack. On the contrary, we are heading for a political confrontation and instability, which is most likely to continue rather increase after the general elections.
Their political differences have now turned into enmity, both personal and political, which could be reflected from the kind of language they use against each other.
Had all parties suspended their campaign and rallies for just one day, in solidarity with the victims, and Imran Khan, Shahbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had gone to Mastung and Peshawar together, a strong message would have gone to those forces which were bent upon sabotaging the polls.
In the aftermath of Mastunq, Pakistan needs the kind of unity shown after the killing of children of Army Public School, Peshawar on Dec 16, 2014. Similar kind of unity and consensus is required today.
Over 70,000 people had been martyred including some 20,000 personnel of our armed forces, police, rangers, FC, beside 50,000 civilians, which includes some of Pakistan's top political and even religious leaders. Benazir Bhutto and Bashir Bilour are among the major victims of terrorism. Parties which suffered the most were PPP, ANP and MQM, the three which practically been kept out in 2013 election race because of attacks.
Siraj Raisani of Balochistan Awami Party and Haroon Bilour of Awami National Party, who were Provincial Assembly candidates and martyred in Mastung and Peshawar blasts, belong to the families which had been the victim of terrorism in the past as well. Besides, some 160 people had died in these blasts, mostly workers or supporters of these parties.
None of these parties had defined 'extremism’ in their programme and how they would eradicate.
As Pakistan enters the last phase of general election scheduled for July 25, it can't afford Mastung-like incidents. The future government has to decide how a National Action Plan, which certainly needs improvements before being implemented in letter and spirit.
The writer is senior analyst and columnist of GEO, The News and Jang
Twitter: @MazharAbbasGEO
