ISLAMABAD, Sept 10: There is the bad news: terrorism and sectarianism related to terrorism has penetrated the mainstream culture of Pakistan. But then there is the proverbial good news: it is not an effervescent problem; if there is a will-to-implement, solutions to the problems exist.'Radicalisation in Pakistan: Perspectives and Resolution' was a dialogue organised by Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) in Islamabad to discuss a problem that has become kaleidoscopic.
Director PIPS, Mohammad Amir Rana, speaking on the occasion categorised terrorism into three folds.
First fold is the rural poor, which includes geographical locations like federally-administered tribal areas (Fata), south of Punjab and parts of Balochistan. Part of the blame for the spread of terrorism and sectarianism can be heaped upon the Madressah network, active in these areas but interestingly these areas cannot be called the source of terrorism or sectarianism.
According to Mr Rana, the source or the place where these tendencies are being nurtured or imported from are urban areas of Pakistan.
That is where the second fold of terrorism is located: the urban middle class. A direct manifestation of the second fold is the 'Punjabi Taliban'. The second fold or the urban middle class base of terrorists is a growing "phenomenon"; they might be local but they are operating with a global mind-set, with some groups who have the ambition or one can call it a delusional phantasmagoria to even take over the country.
This 'take-over the country; or the stereotypical James-bond-villain mind-set, a desire to 'rule the world' is what links the second fold of terrorists to the third fold.
According to Mr Rana, the third fold is the urban elite and he clubbed the expat-community with the elite or the third fold. The expat Muslim community suffers from a cultural dilemma of a 'loss on identity.’ This is what fuels and chains internationally inclined terrorists to local groups in Pakistan.
The examples vary from individuals like Faisal Shahzad to Sheikh Omar to groups like Al Huda and HizbutTahrir.
The frightening aspect is that the third fold is the one which has exposure to the western world and values. And according to Mr Rana until recently 65 per cent of Al Qaeda leadership hailed from the third fold.
What Mr Rana found paradoxical was that according to a recent survey Turkey and Pakistan are the places where there is least support for terrorist activities but then the question being why Pakistan has a terrorist problem and Turkey doesn’t? This iswhere Mr Rana hinted towards a possible solution that Turkey and other Muslim countries don’t have a “catalyst factor.”
Catalyst factor in simple words would be terrorist groups or facilities that would make one’s would-be-terrorist dreams come true.
In his closing remarks, Mr Rana said that in order to tackle this catalyst factor there has to be a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorists and sectarian outfits.
Senior journalist Salem Safi, speaking on the occasion, looked at the problem with a different angle. He divided it into two folds: external and internal. And both are interlinked.
External, Mr Safi said, is our border situation – one with India and the other Afghanistan.
The best possible solution is peace with India. Emphasising: “Peace — even if we have to buy it.”
The second external variable is Afghanistan. Mr Safi said that whatever happens in Afghanistan — if we use the past as a guide — directly affects Pakistan.
Chaos in Afghanistan would translate into chaos in Pakistan.
Therefore, Mr Safi said it is important that we — people and security establishment — desire peace and stability inside Afghanistan.
For peace inside Pakistan, he said in order to tackle the extremism tide, which has become mainstream, there needs to be a “counter narrative.” The extremism narrative should not be allowed to dominate.
Lastly, Mr Safi said that because of continuous disruption of political process, mainstream political parties were kept out of the political process; which created a vacuum and extremism religious groups thrived in this vacuum. The continuance of democratic process will ensure that extremist parties are kept at bay.