THIS is apropos of the letter by Khushbakht Vaka, ‘Tips to contain militancy’ (July 22). The writer rightly pointed out that the TTP wants to impose its own brand of Sharia in Pakistan by the use of gun.

Pakistan would not accept their narrow and stereotyped brand of Islam. But I strongly disagree with the solution of the writer to crush the Taliban completely.

Only killing, crushing, droning, and strafing would not weed out the Taliban because they have penetrated at the grassroots level from Karachi to Kashmir and from Quetta to Peshawar.

The result of a decade-old war strategy dented Pakistan badly, resulting in almost 35,000 causalities of civilians and government personnel physically, and $70 billion losses economically over the years.

The solution through the barrel of the gun would prove illusory because terrorism breeds terrorism, violence breeds violence and hatred breeds hatred.

The examples of India and Israel are before us. The states concerned used violence and force to contain militancy but the result was a failure. Now for the time being if we change our strategy from confrontation to negotiation, we will just feel ashamed before the souls of those killed by the terrorists.

Surely we cannot bring back the dead but we can save the living ones because the continued war would claim causalities in the thousands in the upcoming years.

The solution lies in the provision of secular and religious education collectively and freely, pure and transparent democracy, but not theocracy and kleptocracy, employment, women empowerment and definitely a 3D strategy, i.e. dialogue, development and deterrence.

The solution to all problems from a smaller to larger one and from a small militancy to world wars lies in negotiation and on the table.

FAISAL UR REHMAN Faisalabad