Counter-terror narrative a must for win: experts

ISLAMABAD: Former top military and intelligence officials see disintegrated intelligence system, failure to set up joint-intelligence directorate, overall lack of preemptive operations against active terrorist organisations, failure to originate a counter narrative to the terrorists’ narrative so to stop new recruitment, inability to review National Action Plan (NAP) strategy and lack of accountability of those responsible in military and security establishment after major security lapses as major reasons of nation’s failure to completely eliminate terrorism even after one and an half decades long war-on-terror.
Ex-military officials also add failure to introduce sustainable police reforms which were not even part of NAP, lack of political will to cut financial stream to terrorist organizations, failure to fully activate NACTA, ill urban planning by successive governments as major reasons for collective failure in the fight against terrorism.
One of the respected generals of Pakistan Army, Lieutenant General Amjad Shoaib while talking to The News said that because of ill urban planning, different populations have reached much near to military installations and air bases.
“APS attackers also came from a nearby settlement but unfortunately no attention was given to immediately address this grave issue which resulted in attack on Badaber Airbase for which attacker came from Matni,” General Amjad said. He said that in addition to improving checking standards at check-posts and during surveillance, housing settlements so close to installations and airbases must be transferred to other places. He said terrorists always conduct recky before any attack and carry out a well-planned terrorist activity on basis of complete information. “Whenever terrorists will reach near their target, they will hit and inflict big losses no matter they are eliminated afterwards,” General Amjad said adding “The only solution is to make preemptive strikes on terrorists safe heavens on basis of compact intelligence much before the terrorists came out of these housing settlements and successfully attack on their target.”
General Amjad said that in his view Karachi operation was moving forward successfully only because of daily-based preemptive strikes on terrorists’ hideouts and cutting their money stream. He said that no major preemptive actions could be seen in Punjab and proper strategy could be observed to control propagation of extremism and hatred from Madarass. “When some major tragedy happens, we suddenly start discussing loopholes, failures and inefficiencies but never strategize things to plan to make preemptive strikes on terrorists planning in their sanctuaries,” he added.
Genral Amjad said that NAP was announced in December 2014 after horrible attack on APS. “No plan made on paper could be 100% implemented and as its on-ground implementation starts, there is always a need to make big changes in strategy and practical actions and thus continuous review of the plan is a must for a successful operation,” Amjad said.
“It was decided that NAP implementation will be reviewed after every month but first meeting to review implementation of NAP was held after eight months of NAP announcement,” he said.
He said that this shows the seriousness of stockholders. He said that it has been revealed that many foreigners have obtained thousands of fake CNICs from NADRA and then immigration department also issued them passports. “Had the NAP strategy was reviewed on continuous basis, such things could have been managed in a better way,” Gen Amjad added. He said that most of those initially arrested following NAP were ordinary clerics mostly apprehended following hate speeches but real criminals and hardcore terrorists were rarely arrested under this move.
He said that security forces eliminate terrorists or arrest them but terrorist outfits immediately recruit same number of new people which zeroes final result of NAP and other anti-terrorism operations.
General Amjad said that terrorists have a narrative which they propagate through madarssas in Punjab, KPK and other parts of the country that all others are infidels and that by killing infidels one will go to heavens. He said that the basic strategy and priority must have been to work to change this narrative with a correct one at the madarssas level and not doing so is the biggest reason of nation’s failure in its war against extremism.
General Amjad said that intelligence system is disintegrated and is not compact. A joint intelligence directorate under Nacta has become a dream. He said that without joint-intelligence mechanism, professional and accurate operations and preemptive strikes will also remain a dream. “What to talk of JID under NACTA, we could not even make NACTA fully functional and operational,” said Amjad.
General Amjad said that there is clear lack of political will when it comes to cutting the financial streams of terrorist outfits and extremist organizations because of unknown reasons. Citing Karachi operation, Gen Amjad said that by fully cutting money supply to such organizations, these are made practically dysfunctional, they could not expand more and forces will just have to eliminate a few hardcore elements.
He said that in the long run, only a professional and well-equipped police force can counter and confront terrorists and extremist organizations penetrated in the society. “Unfortunately, police reforms was not even the part of NAP,” Gen Amjad said. He said that our police force seriously need capacity building, training and latest equipment but no real attention is being given towards this.
General Amjad said that Operations in FATA, especially in Shawal valley would be fruitful only if the Pak-Afghan border is closed. “We clear one area and terrorism reemerge in the same area again as terrorists flee towards safe heavens in Afghanistan and come back after operation is stopped,” he added. Amjad said that there are serious issues regarding raising of fences but Pakistani must move forward to fence as maximum places as possible and to control movements on rest of the places to minimize the cross border terrorism threats.
Brigadier (R) Asad Munir who served elite intelligence agency ISI in FATA at crucial juncture of history after 9/11 while talking to The News said that if there is no pause in on-going operations against terrorists and intelligence specific strikes are extended in areas like South Punjab, Jhang, Terah, Balochistan and parts of Sindh, the present drive of war-on-terror finally seems to be on the right track. He said that there are certain failures on the intelligence and operational level during present terrorism incidents and overall war-on-terror but such things are part of the game and now forces must move forward with full power and through an intelligent and well-orchestrated strategy.
Brg Asad Munir was of the view that intelligence sharing at all levels is not practically possible. “Even in USA, CIA and FBI never share everything with each other,” said Asad Munir. Munir added that he has predicted that neither NACTA nor joint intelligence directorate under it could become a reality. “Joint intelligence directorate is only possible if it is headed by ISI and otherwise there will be many technical and practical difficulties which will never allow this institution to take birth,” Munir added. Munir said that there is no doubt that an integrated intelligence system would yield better results.
Brig Asad Munir was of the view that fencing Pak-Afghan border was not possible as politically influential Pakhtoons on Afghan side oppose it and consider any such move as accepting Durand Line as border. He said that practical solution is trust building and improvement of ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan and a joint strategy against terror.
He said that occupation of Kunduz by Taliban is not directly related to Pakistan at this moment but it could become a threat to regional peace if Afghan government and Allied forces in Afghanistan failed to respond and evict Taliban from the city within next seven days. “If Taliban were 10,000 at the time of attack on Kunduz, now they will be 30,000 and they will expand their boundaries like IS did after occupying Musal,” Munir elaborated. Munir stressed the need to control Pak-Afghan border movements through joint mechanism that should be agreed between both the neighboring countries.