THE unenviable position of being a front-line state in the war on terror has resulted in the branding of Pakistan as the most dangerous place on earth and, more recently, after the Mumbai attacks, the 'epicentre of terror'. Unfortunately, these pronouncements are not entirely bereft of truth.

Internal threats have reached such alarming proportions that even the induction of additional troops, training of indigenous security forces and the injection of funds and equipment, though necessary, will no longer be sufficient to defeat the Al Qaeda/Taliban-led violence.

Extremist ideology, which manifests itself in rampant terrorist attacks in the country, continues to gather momentum. The obscurantist doctrines espoused by so-called religious parties target free markets, democracy, women's rights and modernity in its diverse aspects, and have made inroads at the grass-roots level. Their efficient welfare network whereby food, clothing, shelter and education are provided to the needy, as at the time of the 2005 earthquake, further bolsters such outfits and provides them a continuous flow of radicalised recruits.

In contrast the injustices and inequality prevalent in society, inflation without economic growth, massive disinvestment, unemployment and a large yet ineffective state administration is gradually eroding the confidence of the people in democratic values and the secular parties that they brought into power less than a year ago.In societies where economic depression and injustice become unbearable, an educated middle class usually provides the impetus for civil movements to rectify and address grievances. In extreme instances, these result in revolutions. In Pakistan, however, the middle class itself is being gradually eroded and sinking into the quicksand of poverty. This socio-economic morass is being skilfully exploited by the well-organised and well-financed extremist elements, in the face of the callous neglect by the state, to

gain support of the masses.

The meltdown can only be arrested if the government snaps out of its lethargy. It has to merge its disjointed efforts and strategise to win back the hearts and minds of the people. The solution lies in a mix of economic and ideological initiatives.

The ideological battle cannot be won until economic deprivations are addressed. Social and economic inequalities, the widening gap between the rich and the poor and the erosion of the middle class are playing a more pivotal role in increasing the flanks of the militants than negative indoctrination by the clerics.

The government needs to economically empower the masses by broadening the country's economic base. To date, economic prosperity has been restricted to a few who have amassed huge fortunes. The country no longer has the time for the much-touted trickle-down benefits of growth. An island of prosperity cannot sustain itself in an ocean of poverty. Distribution of wealth through projects in vocational training, development of small- and medium-sized enterprises backed by micro-credit schemes need to be encouraged. Simultaneously, low-income housing, healthcare and education have to be developed.

These projects are, however, a part of a medium- to long-term strategy with respective gestation periods. The immediate objective is to tackle inflation (averaging 24.65 per cent for just the first five months of fiscal year 2008-09) which, without economic growth, has reached pandemic levels. Reports of suicides and the sale of children indicate the severity of the problem.

Desperate times require bold and imaginative measures. The government must lead the way. Public awareness media campaigns are required to sensitise and mobilise the more fortunate. Funds for poverty alleviation are urgently needed and can be raised from both the private and public sectors. The proper utilisation of these funds in the form of food banks, subsidies, temporary shelters and clothing must be efficiently coordinated and monitored. The luxury of procrastination is no longer available to the government which has to move with speed and determination to redress the inequities.

The ideological battle with its concomitant objective of owning the war on terror has received the same lacklustre, disjointed and sporadic support from the government. The silver lining is that the lack of direction and leadership by the state is, to an extent, being replaced by an activist civil movement.

This movement began with a single song titled 'Yeh hum nahin'. The message of the song was simple. It conveyed that Muslims/Pakistanis are not terrorists and that the heinous crimes committed by these extremists are anathema to the Islamic doctrine. The song is now widely considered as the anthem for the anti-terrorism movement in Pakistan.

However, it is just the first step in the ideological struggle against extremist violence. To some extent, the movement has succeeded in galvanising popular support against extremism and more such initiatives are required to take the country towards new frontiers of tolerance, stability and economic prosperity.

The writer is editor-in-chief of Criterion Quarterly.

mushfiq.murshed@gmail.com