Dangerous partnerships

There are four partnerships that are proving to be difficult to handle by the state of Pakistan. The first deadly combination is between corruption and terrorism. The second partnership is between religion and the state. The third team-up is between extremism and terrorism, both of which cannot be disposed of separately. The fourth synergy is between a failed foreign policy and terrorism. Policymakers are apparently not aware of the proven nexus between our foreign policy and the domestic situation.

It is in this dark and foggy context that the National Action Plan was conceived. NAP is based on wrong assumptions because it does not consider these unsettling combinations. In its present form, NAP is a national reaction plan, waiting for tragedies in order to respond. The war on terrorism cannot be won unless our so-called leaders rise above preconceived notions and try to understand the problem in all its manifestations. No war was ever won without accepting and correcting mistakes.

B A Malik

Islamabad