Dismantling the jihad inventory

By Awais Ali Khan 

Global powers in pursuit of their national interest come in to inter-plays, with implications, that last longer, for nations   having intricate socio-political structures. The   threatening consequences exponentially exacerbate with unclear mass aptitude and ideological barriers .Non-state actors that are created and sponsored once for fulfillment of state level functioning, when mishandled, blow back and challenge, not only writ of state but also the ideological grounds on which a nation is established. Strategic assets turning in to state’s enemy, are when not rightfully cornered and skill fully extinguished, becomes a menace as like Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to whole of state and region.

Along with other ‘interest groups’, state of Pakistan patronized, the manufacturing and maneuvering of such ‘strategic assets’ which are mass-produced in ‘jihad-industry’. In this industry, catalyst of USSR’s invasion is used to structuralize intervention-pretext and mass-suffering gives impetuous, to attract industrial-raw-material from across world. Raw material, is then processed and ‘ideologically adorned’   to compete market requirement. Skillfully the ‘brand’ used for this manufacturing, was so compatible with its purpose of creation, that it marks   all other brands, who differ from them as ‘infidels’. This ‘strict-interpretation’ creates a substrate on which, an ‘expansionist product’   can be manufactured, to fulfill domestic as well as foreign demands. The formula containing ‘ideological-adornment’ as product-attribute, makes it so portable, that it’s easily exported to other ‘demanding-markets’ ,and product gets well configured in ‘new-localities’ in less time.

When these non state actors are longer ignored, due to unclear attitude of ‘mass- misunderstanding’  deeming  them, as good and bad, they begin to  pose threat to state’s existence. Pakistan has gotten itself to a place, where it has to finally show a spine against this threat, which has internal and external roots, with wide range of implications. The Peshawar incident has shaken hearts of ‘almost’ whole  nation .People have galvanized themselves, in to a colossal movement, which helped in mounting pressure , to root out threat with iron hands. People, who were proponents of perception, of good and bad Taliban, have ‘almost’ realized them now, as enemies of humanity and state. Now ‘components’ of post-realization policy are needed to be chalked out, by introduction of counter-movements at various fronts.

Lesson needs to be learned from history, that this was ‘CIA’s covert program of militarization’ for fulfillment of ‘its’ interest, for which a ‘narrative’ was inculcated, to act as fuel for cause, which was ‘holy’ in nature . For countering this menace, there is need, to go for all measures, that suit our interest. At top levels, sense needs to be developed ‘clearly’, that it is our domestic problem and, it has to be dealt in ‘our ways’ and we sometimes may ‘differ’ from ‘our-paymasters’. Secondly, for disenfranchisement of this ideological-menace, countermeasures are ought to be taken, at social, political and administrative fronts.   At social front the snake needs to be crushed in two ways; by cutting its head off and by no letting it grow again.

Snakes head is ought to  be cut off, with intensification of ongoing operation, Zarb-e-Azb in selectively targeted areas, and establishment of efficient judicial framework, for  ‘timely’ trial of terrorists .Its implementation, can either come about,  by strengthening of ‘existing-inefficient judicial system’ ,or supplemented with introduction of military courts. Both of alternatives should be evaluated, and made operational under patronage of elected-government. Their apologists are needed to be isolated and penalized. ‘Interest groups’ which are instrumental, in pursuing their narrative, are needed to be completely-banned, with surety that they don’t ‘resurface again’, with other names, or covertly operate.

To not let the snake grow up again, it’s feeding needs to be stopped, by halting all the means and resources, that could provide direct or indirect   financial support to it. Either it’s done through banking controls or transaction monitoring, its need of hour to come into play. Moreover, intelligence and communication based monitoring, can be increased manifold, through collaboration of cellular industries, with call-tapings and SIM-regulations .But this should not halt  other user’s services, and infringe individual-privacies of common users, and should be targeted in nature, towards miscreants.

Lastly, there also needs to be revitalization of educational-systems, to change   orientations, that were once,  made skewed towards war-farism and battle glory,  through ‘jihad o qital teachings ’,to enhance Taliban  franchise in 1980’s .They are to be  transformed now, towards ‘peace, akhuwat o muhabt teachings, of Islam, by highlighting those aspects in curriculums. This should provide basis for establishment of peace-keeping-inventory, manufactured in educational industry, by reversing it in way it was created, and oriented towards jihad in 1980’s.Counternarrative, based on peaceful teachings of Islam, needed to be highlighted, and enshrined, to reverse what was previously done. This is possible through, ‘streamlined curriculum development’, of educational networks, including reclamation of madarsas and seminaries, into common ‘educational-pool’. Regulating this pool with common policies of education, and curriculum homogenization, will pave a way for streamlining their ‘existing-divergent’ orientations, into a uniform and coherent one. It has to be initiated, by introducing policy parameters, looked jointly by Islamic ideology council (IIC) ,and respective provincial educational ministries.

Cutting of offshoots and sanitization of prevalent tendencies is also likely to be demanded or developed by mass-awakening, which is on rise after Peshawar incident. People, by being vibrant on social media and print media, are being lead to formulation, of a structuralized civil-society across nation. This would gradually be effective, and will generate more impact by support of majority masses.

In amidst of all this scenario, government machinery, army and judiciary have to carefully interplay with parameters in front of them, which are linked with common people as well as perpetrators. State needs to protect innocents and punish culprits, what so ever is the decision of cost, and come up with a sustainable action-plan, addressing shorter and long term implications of alternative chosen. Nation stands together, and will reinforce the efforts taken.

Awais Ali Khan  studies Town Planning in UET Lahore ,is a youth activist, and is also affiliated with a youth lead organization ;Young Reformers Gilgit-Blatisan. He can be reached at (awais890@yahoo.com) and    (https://www.facebook.com/awais.a.khan.7)