Welcome To Radicalized Pakistan!

The consecutive abductions and beheading of the hostages of different countries by ISIS made their governments think about not only to stop the increasing influence of ISIS militants, but also at the same time, counter the radicalization so that their people cannot be trapped. Therefore, all the affected countries from France to Japan (and now Tunisia too) are seriously concerned about devising a strategy to tackle this very serious issue.

However, we do not see similar concerns in Pakistan which is one of the most badly terrorism-affected countries of the world. Despite having lost over 50,000 people to the hands of Taliban terrorists in the country, no strong voice or movement was seen as retaliation. Similarly, the Army Public School catastrophe was the worst of its nature in which Taliban killed over 130 students, yet the world could not witness any notable protest throughout the country including Peshawar except in Karachi. Karachi-ites protested in thousands on the appeal of MQM`s founder Altaf Hussain not only to condemn Taliban, but also to express solidarity with the children martyred and their families.

Question is, when even MQM and the people of Karachi, living hundreds of miles away from Peshawar and ethnically as well as politically different, could feel the pain and come out on roads against Taliban over the school massacre, why did the people of Peshawar, who lost their own children in the tragedy, not react the same way? Were they scared or had become the victim of radicalization?

Truly speaking, majority of them are neither frightened, nor have they been so much influenced by Talibanization. All those forces which generally influence the public opinions in Pakistan have deliberately made common people digest the ill-deeds of Taliban and Jihadi groups.  Which elements contributed to the prevailing death`s silence in the general public and to what extent, we will have to analyze all of them separately:  

1-Religious and Sects Groups:   

People of Pakistan are divided into different Muslim sects and their support or dissociation with Taliban, like other matters, is also influenced by the same factor. It is fact that Taliban and different Jihadi groups mainly belong to Duband sect. That is surely one of the important reasons why Deoband priests and groups defend Taliban. Jamat-e-Islami and Jamiat-Ulemae Islam (belonging to the same mind set) do not hesitate even to declare Taliban terrorists as religiously “Shaheed” (martyrs). Although it is also true that there are definitely some clerics in the same sect who disagree to the ideology of Taliban, their voice is so feeble that they lose its importance. 

2-Shias and Hazara Communities:

Like other Pakistani Muslims, these communities are also followers of Islam. But, Taliban and their apologists consider them as non-Muslims (Kaafirs). This is why they target Shias and Hazaras more than their other Muslim rivals. And, no doubt, this is also the most important reason why we see strong protests from Shia and Hazara Communities against religious and sectarian extremism in Pakistan.

3-Brelvi Sect: Like Shias and Hazaras, Brelvi priests and their groups too disagree to the ideology of Taliban and openly condemn religious extremism from them. However, they too have failed to build the required momentum against what has been taking place in Pakistan in the disguise of Islam.

4-Political Parties: From the beginning, there had been a clear difference of opinion in the Pakistani politics over how to deal with Taliban. Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-S) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have always expressed soft feelings for Taliban. On the other hand, the left wing parties namely Pakistan People`s Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP) and Muttahida Qoumi Movement (MQM) kept criticizing religious terrorism and demanded strict actions them. But, practically speaking, the left wing parties could not propagate against Taliban so much as the pro-Taliban did in the favor. As a result, we see more influence in the country of Taliban apologists than those of their critics.

5-Elected Government:

Though it is the prime responsibility of a government to take strict actions against all those who cause threats to its under-ruled people, Pakistani government always criticized any military action against “Jihadi” groups and supported negotiations with them. It was PML-N`s Federal Interior Minister Ch. Nisar who expressed his annoyance with American authorities over the death of Taliban`s then head Hakeem Ullah Mehsud in a US drone attack. Here, it is necessary to recall that PML-N in the center and PTI in KPK province became able to form their governments when Taliban forcefully sidelined their political left wing parties in 2013`s general elections by their terrorist attacks. That is the back ground of why political government has been reluctant in seriously targeting Taliban.  
6-Media:

Pakistani media too plays a very crucial part in the country important affairs. Not only the media coverage, but also the anchorpersons` talk shows play a decisive role in making or diverting public opinion against or in favor over an issue. The lawyers` movement during 2007-2008 and Imran Khan`s sit-ins against the alleged election rigging are best examples of the contributions that Pakistani media made in generating a weave in the favor. However, we failed to see similar contribution in preparing people`s minds against Taliban and their apologists. Rather, Pakistani media confused the common Pakistanis by allowing the pro Taliban people to live defend and justify the terrorist attacks in the country.

Taking into account the prevailing environment, it is not surprising to see that why people seem to have mentally surrendered to Taliban and Jihadi groups. 

7-Military Establishment:

The people who understand the Pakistani politics are aware very well that no prominent change can change take place in the country without the involvement or prior consent of the military establishment. Even the politicians (whether in the government or sitting on opposition benches) have to see the mood of the military establishment before they make any important political decisions. Considering these, it will not be wrong to accept that the military establishment is the only power in Pakistan which can make all the influencing forces stand against Taliban terrorists in the same way as during the movement of independence of judiciary and PTI`s sit-ins when even the ex-service (retired army) men had come out on roads.

However, the way Taliban terrorists are spreading all over Pakistan and, some of them, are announcing their association with ISIS, is sufficient to question the intention of the military rulers about the religious terrorist groups. Additionally, the recent Rangers` action against MQM (that has the loudest and clearest stand against religious extremism) has definitely added to the trustworthiness.

It is an open secret that MQM has been outrageously condemning all the terrorist attacks from 9/11 tragedy to the recent suicide attack at Rangers in Karachi. Even at the time when there was no one in Pakistan daring to denounce the Taliban`s attack at Malala Yousuf Zai, it was Altaf Hussain`s MQM which politically stood with her in the worst time. 

It was only MQM in the entire Parliament in 2009 which strongly opposed the controversial bill for the implementation of so-called “Sharia” (Islamic law) into more than one-third of Khayber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province of Pakistan on the demand of a pro-Taliban Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammed (TNSM or the Movement for the Enforcement of Mohammed’s Law). The Pakistani parliament approved that bill so as to avoid any more violence from the extremist groups especially in Swat as per an accord. The (TNSM) had already threatened to declare any member of parliament as a non-Muslim if they voted against the bill.

Question is, why is the Pakistani military establishment targeting MQM which has been leaving no stone unturned to mobilize people to counter the rapidly increasing radicalization in the country? Military establishment should keep this in its mind that MQM is the only popular movement in Pakistan which, like in the past, can activate people against Talibanization. Therefore, keeping in view the increasing threats of ISIS and Al-Qaida about taking over Pakistan, hitting MQM below the belt would only mean facilitating the terrorists groups. And if such a thing really takes place as feared, then no one would be able to save Pakistan from turning into completely a radicalized country.