SHOULD Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) be given a chance to sit on the table opposite the state for negotiations, and, more importantly, should it be granted amnesty? The questions are doing the rounds these days without anyone finding a clear answer. The confusion all this while is getting thicker all the time and that is not good for society at large.

It is a burning issue in discussions in political, academic and even social gatherings. The recent example of state’s talks with the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) did not set a promising precedent, especially when the outfit in question proved itself to be a pressure group.

Why has Pakistan opted to negotiate with such organisations? What will be the outcome of these talks and subsequent deals? What roles do the foreign actors have in this? What could possibly go wrong? What will be the collateral damage, if any?

These and such other questions may not be answered at this point in time as the answers depend on how things unfold in the future. But should we forget the hundreds of terrorist attacks, including the infamous massacre at the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar? Should we overlook the sacrifices made by our civil and armed forces? Should we set aside the fact that the nation united in 2014 against terrorism despite its countless divisions along ethnic, linguistic, religious and sectarian lines?

Should we disregard the tears of martyrs’ families? Should we not think of billions of dollars we put to fight terrorism in spite of being a developing country? Should we now consider the National Action Plan as a thing of the past? Should we forget all the misery and the pain? Should we simply ‘move on’? Should we?

I do not think we should. The state needs to remember the scary past before it even considers negotiations a feasible option. We have a history of the state having tried to adopt a softer approach against such anti-state groups only to suffer immense damage in the end.

Non-military solutions while dealing with armed radical groups had never proved reliable and long-lasting options. At this point, history must not be allowed to repeat itself. Giving TTP time and space will help it re-organise its disrupted network in Pakistan and make this country go through sufferings similar to the previous ones.

The state needs to acknowledge that the only visible option is not the only possible option. A democratic state must never run out of options, especially when its security is at stake.

Anees Naveed
Khanewal

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2021