Country Paper on
Drivers of Radicalism and Extremism in
Pakistan
By
Khalid Aziz
December, 2015
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Table of Contents
Foreword…………………………………………………………………… 03
Section 1 Introduction………………………………………………………………….. 04
Section 2 Hindu-Muslim Relations as Driver of Radicalism…………………………… 05
Section 3 The Pakistani identity………………………………………………………… 07
Section 4 Contributory Factors……………………………………………………….. 10
Section 5 Imposition of Sharia………………………………………………………… 17
Section 6 Key Drivers of Radicalism…………………………………………………... 17
Section 7 Emergence of the New Economy and Convergence of Extremists with Crime Syndicates…………………………………………………………... 20
Section 8 Kashmiri Jihadi Structure……………………………………………………. 22
Section 9 Pakistan’s Extremist Organizations…………………………………..…… 24
Section 10 The Radical Sectarian Nexus……………………………………………….. 25
Section 11 Role of FATA in Radicalization………………………………………………. 26
Section 12 FATA Reforms……………………………………………………………… 27
Section 13 Regional Highlights of the Impact of War Against Terrorism 30
Section 14 Recommendations for De-Radicalization…………………………………. 31
Section 15 Actions Proposed for the State……………………………………………. 31
Section 16 Actions Proposed for Civil Society………………………………………… 33
Section 17 Conclusion………………………………..………………………………….. 34
End Notes…………………………………………………………………… 35
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Foreword FES is a German Political Foundation recommended strategy on de-radicalization. committed to the values of Social Democracy. Through its vast international network and We are highly thankful to Khalid Aziz for offices in more than 100 countries, FES authoring this paper, putting his tireless efforts, promotes democratic political culture, socially analyzing the situation of radicalism and inclusive economic development as well as extremism in Pakistan and coming up with peace and stability. FES has more than a number of recommendations for de- decade of experience in facilitating high level radicalization. We hope that this paper can be dialogues in South Asia. Working towards of help for decision makers, civil society and peace and security in Afghanistan is a key other policy groups to understand the key objective of FES in its regional work. factors of radicalization in Pakistan.
Moreover, FES has established a network of four Policy Groups in Afghanistan, Central Philipp Kauppert, Asia, India and Pakistan. Each Policy Group is Resident Director, composed of former and serving ambassadors, FES Pakistan senior civil servants, military generals, parliamentarians, civil society leaders, analysts and journalists who bear in mind the strategic Abdullah Dayo, interest of their respective countries while Programme Officer, deliberating mutually beneficial commitments FES Pakistan and obligations. The Policy Groups engage with each other as well as inter-regional track December 2015 II dialogues with valuable inputs from experts in China, Iran, Russia and Turkey.
In November 2014, FES organized “Inter- Regional Convener and Facilitator Summit on Afghanistan” in Istanbul, Turkey which was attended by the conveners and facilitators of aforementioned Policy Groups. In that summit, Pakistan Policy Group (PPG) and India Policy Group (IPG) had the bilateral meeting in which the issues related to radicalization in both countries were discussed. At the end, it was decided that a paper on “Drivers of Radicalism and Extremism in Pakistan” will be authored by Khalid Aziz, Convener PPG to analyze and document key driving factors and actors of radicalization in the region and to develop
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1. Introduction Western Europe. Jalalabad became a drugs transit centre in the early 1990s, even before 1 It may be asked whether there was a need for the Taliban emerged.” another paper on the drivers of radicalism and extremism in the presence of abundant earlier Secondly this study clearly links the anchoring research. The following are the answers to this of the Pakistani identity based upon religion as question. another source of fostering radicalism and extremism. It has not only encouraged the Firstly, this study covers new ground when it religious class to maintain a strangle hold over concludes that the causes of radicalism and Pakistan’s frame of reference for viewing the extremism have changed from what they were external world and its neighbors but permits its posited after the 9/11 upheaval. At that institutions to rely on proxy warriors to achieve juncture the influence of religion in driving foreign policy and internal security goals. radicalism and extremism was high. However, Obviously, such an association compromises over a period of time the place of religion has the state’s enforcement capabilities and been occupied by criminality. This region is permits the proxies to use the crime Mafias as now occupied by large criminal “Mafias” who their logistic partners and at times they are are now sustaining violence by using the used to quell dissent too. revelatory canons as a façade to weaken the legitimate state authority and its security and Thirdly, this study reiterates that radicalism and enforcement capabilities, so that the weak extremism are anchored within the Pakistan regulatory framework allows the criminal Independence Movement ever since the British syndicates to make colossal financial gains colonial masters advocated after 1857, that through sale of drugs, evasion of duties and the Muslims and Hindus were separate people. smuggling of weapons besides other forms of It was then easy to make the next conclusion deviance from the law. This assertion is that since they were two separate people supported by one of the most astute analysts culturally, they were two separate nations. on Afghanistan, Ahmed Rashid, who said that, “ISIL's largest gains have been only in The paper is divided into fourteen sections and one province - Nangarhar, which borders attempts to trace the manifestation of Pakistan. Here, there is an active civil war radicalism and extremism in its various forms ongoing between the Taliban and former and nuances as it prevails in Pakistan today; 1) Taliban, who have switched sides to join ISIL. it is argued that its advent took place due the This fighting has less to do with ideological Hindu-Muslim trust deficit in India when reasons than it has to do with control of the secular parties like the Indian National lucrative trade and smuggling of goods, Congress and the All India Muslim League money laundering, and most significantly, began to mobilize followers by creating heroin that passes through the provincial separate identities based on religion that was capital Jalalabad to Peshawar and onwards to
1 1 Ahmed Rashid, “The Afghan battlefield has become more complicated,” Aljazeera, Nov 1st 2015, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/11/afghan-battlefield-complicated-151101081133323.html
4 used as a unifying factor to argue for the It will be beneficial to first clearly define establishment of Pakistan and India, 2) the radicalism and extremism; paper studies the role played by the Pakistani narrative and its anchoring in religion as a A radical is someone who believes in extreme unifying factor to recreate a Pakistani nation. social and political solutions that are not It also substituted a perspective of history of shared by a majority in a community. There are the region in its binary form viz “us” versus various explanations why Muslims are more “them”, where the national historians prone to radicalism. However, the most cogent imaginatively reconstructed regional history of reason is the nature of the Islamic identity. It the sub-continent to suit the ideological has been argued that radicalism in Islam exists purpose. Thus history has been reduced to because it is a global religion and its providing material of a justified “us” universalism links Muslims anywhere to a ferociously attacked by an iniquitous “them”; struggle in which Muslims may be involved in a process that devolves into bigotry not any part of the globe. In a sense it creates against the outsider “them,” but to be used bonds amongst people that goes beyond the against the recalcitrant “us” within, 3) the principles of identity based on nation states paper also examines the key drivers of advocated as a natural crucible of identities by radicalism and extremism in Pakistan , 4) It the Western defined modernity. studies the strategic role played by certain spaces (Fata and Baluchistan), due to their While an extremist is someone who holds specific geography, where dangerous safe- uncompromising political and religious views, havens appeared and led to the creation of and advocates illegal, violent, or other extreme the Afghan Taliban after the overthrow of action in fulfillment of his beliefs and values. President Najibullah,2 and assisted in the They do not believe in diversity and usually creation of a formidable franchise in the form have a conservative interpretation of religion of the TTP (2007)3 , who began to challenge modeled upon the times of the Prophet (PBUH) the Pakistani state leading to threats to its and the first four Caliphs of Islam. survival, 5) the paper also examines the situation in the other provinces and how 2. Hindu-Muslim Relations as radical and extremist sectarian outfits have altered the demography in certain parts of the Driver of Radicalism country, 6) the paper then makes certain recommendations for de-radicalizing the state The birth and growth of extremist radicalism in based upon, a) actions proposed for the state, Pakistan was originally inspired by religion as b) actions recommended for civil society, 7) the new identity creator, it preceded Pakistan’s the last section makes certain final remarks creation and can be traced to the rancorous about what it will take to defeatt extremism arguments between the majority Hindu and and radicalism in Pakistan? the minority Muslims that frequently led to
2 1992 3 13 Pakistani pro Afghan Taliban groups united under the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in December 2007, and united under the leadership of Baitullah Mehsud. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan's stated objectives were resistance against the Pakistani state, enforcement of their interpretation of Sharia and to resist the NATO led forces in Afghanistan.
5 murder and violence. before whom Prime Minister Modi and his cabinet appeared to give the progress report By the late 1930 the Muslims were convinced about his government’s performance! So that the Hindus would continue to impose much for India’s claim to be a ‘secular’ their will upon the Muslim, it thus convinced a democracy! In India too the evil of religious large number of Muslims to seek a separate hatred against non-Hindus is being actively state based on the Islamic ideology. It was this espoused by the RSS that would be the mirror factor that ultimately led to Partition image of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) or Jamat- notwithstanding views of the Congress ud-Dawah (JD) in Pakistan. leaders to the contrary. Since religion had played such an important role in mobilizing After the creation of Pakistan a large the Muslims to seek a separate homeland percentage of its population who had been based on Islam it was natural that those influenced by the religious narrative of the parties that wanted more Islamization in the Muslim-Hindu divide, confronted a situation new state were in the ascendant against a where a new state had to be formed; it lacked small cosmopolitan Muslim elite who believed institutional structures and the religious in secularism; Pakistani Westernized elites inspiration of the population made the radical have ever since homed in on Mr. Jinnah’s 11th mind-set more empowered that had existed August speech, in which he spoke of his vision over a period of time and had even seen or about the new state, that was to be formed had themselves participated in episodic only after three days, that all the people who religious violence that was condoned by would come to dwell within its boundaries, inaction and a lax enforcement regime; these whatever their personal religious belief may initial causes led to the birth of new drivers be, were to be considered Pakistani. Easier produced during the Cold War and the said than done. How could that be when the pervasive Indo-Pak rivalry as a result of religious differences were stressed as the frequent religious pogroms that saw multiple paramount reason for partition of the sub- killings in which bands of Muslim zealots and continent? Hindu extremist indulged in murderous sprees. These sentiments became deeply embedded Given the benefit of doubt to Mr. Jinnah, that due to the Kashmir dispute as a result of the he saw the dangers of managing the future flawed Partition of the sub-continent and the Pakistan on an ideological religious basis, he reiteration of the ideological narrative of could only wish away the threat as a divisive Pakistan at the pulpit and in the media as well factor splitting the unity of the new nation, as on the floor of Parliament. but he could not put the genie of religion back into the bottle in Pakistan. A similar It can be said, that the main generator of statement is valid in the case of India. After radicalism in Pakistan, is thus the result of the being in denial for many decades India’s inimical relations between Hindus and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has officially Muslims, who had lived with each other for confessed itself to be an extension of the over 700 hundred years in India but had latter Hindu Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) begun to see themselves as two separate people. Although the Turkic-Persian-Afghan
6 rule in India was often times contested, on (or the Portuguese occupation of India) then many occasions it was preceded by a Muslim they ought to be termed as Christian invasion that caused deaths of Hindus and invasions!5 On the other hand it has been created a set of grievances stretching over a conversely argued that the separateness of the long period of time. There was a parallel Hindus from Muslims became inevitable, once killing of Muslims at the hands of Hindus the Muslims imagined that they were a through the Rajput and Mahratta wars. separate community and a nation and that the Hindus would not allow them to live in India The delicate surface tranquillity between the unmolested.6 This fear has turned out to be Hindus and Muslims suffered when the British correct with the recent launching of the colonial administration punished the Muslim forceful conversion of Muslims and Christians elites after the failed War of Independence in to Hinduism in which the RSS is taking the 1857. Subsequently, British administrators lead and since it is a component of the BJP the used the religious cleavage between the ruling party in India the rights of the minorities Hindus and Muslims to keep them apart. have suffered and they are facing high levels Clearly, Britain wanted the Hindus and of oppression.7 This seems to confirm the Muslims to remain divided, so that it was easy fears of the Muslims of India who began to to rule them. The British achieved this by believe in the 1940s that the Hindus will not spreading myths, one of these was about the allow them to live in freedom. This has now Indian Muslims martial qualities and their been confirmed by events in the 21st century. absence in the Hindus.4 It would also contradict Jaswant Singh’s thesis that the religious divide between the Hindus It was thus not surprising when this policy of and Muslims was misconstrued. On the divide and rule lead to the ultimate division of contrary it is a fact now. India into a Hindu and a Muslim state. The Muslim League that demanded Pakistan had 3. The Pakistani identity coined the, “Two-Nation Theory,” that stated that India was inhabited by Muslims and The traumatic parting of ways between the Hindus as two separate nations and that each Hindus and Muslims in 1947, ensured an was entitled to its own state. This thesis is acrimonious future for both the new challenged by Jaswant Singh in his biography dominions these were further aggravated by on Jinnah and the Partition of India, when he controversial division of territories and assets said that it is a histographic error made by between them. Their relations were further many writers, when they referred to invasions marred by communal and religious of India as Muslim invasions instead of calling divisiveness, leading to the creation of them Turkic or Persian or Afghan invasions. If endemic problems like the ongoing Kashmir the same logic was to be used for the British dispute that has so far resulted in four wars
4 K.K Aziz, “The Making of Pakistan,” Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore, 1967, P. 146. 5 Jaswant Singh, “Jinnah – India – Partition - Independence,” Rupa & Co, New Delhi, 2009, P. 17 6 Ibid (2), P. 153 7 Washington Times, Rahat Husain, “Militant Hindu groups plan ‘conversions’ of Christians and Muslims on Christmas,” 14th Dec 2014, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/14/rahat-husain-militant-hindu-groups-plan-conversion/
7 between the two states in less than a quarter A strong lobby of religious parties began to century of existence. accelerate Pakistan’s march forward as an Islamic ideological state after 1947. This Only recently the special status of Indian militant advocacy was directed towards the occupied Kashmir was confirmed by the demand for the new state to declare the Srinagar High Court. It held that Article 370 of Qadianis apostates under the Constitution. the Indian Constitution is a permanent The unrest in Punjab and in Lahore that provision and cannot be abrogated, repealed followed led to the declaration of Pakistan’s or even amended. Under the Indian first Martial Law in Lahore. constitution, Article 370 grants special status to the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir. According to Justice Munir, who wrote the “It (Article 370) is beyond amendment, repeal seminal report on the disturbances in the or abrogation, in as much as Constituent Punjab in 1953, stated, “That the object (of Assembly of the State before its dissolution the agitators) was to establish a religious did not recommend its amendment or state… it was neither in Quaid-e-Azam’s mind repeal.”8 nor in that of Allama Iqbal’s.”10
This acrimony has not only led to low human Although Justice Munir may have his reasons development but in the case of Pakistan, for stating as such, yet the historic record created a downward growth spiral damaging shows that the great majority of the Muslims Pakistan’s promise and making it difficult for of undivided India wanted a Muslim state. The her to come abreast of her many problems. first step towards turning Pakistan into an The main explanation for this is the centralism Islamic state were begun by the Jamaat-e- that Pakistan attached to its narrow identity Islami (JI) who began a well thought out narrative wholly based on being an Islamic proselytizing movement amongst the students Republic that was different from its founder’s and teachers to create a cadre of activists pronouncement who wished Pakistan to be a propagating in the educational institutions of Muslim state based on secularism.9 Pakistan, particularly in the Punjab, for transformation of Pakistan into an Islamic The initial step that encouraged radicalism at state. Thus many of Pakistan’s future the advent of Pakistan was the introduction of generation of political, bureaucratic and civil the ‘Objective Resolution,’ that was adopted society leaders learnt their politics by by the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan becoming members of the JI’s student wing in March 1949 on the advocacy of Mr. Liaquat the Islami Jamiat-e-Tulaba (IJT).11 Ali Khan, the successor to Quaid-e-Azam.
8 Daily Times, “Indian held Kashmir high court says Kashmir never merged with India,” news report, 16th Oct 2015, http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/16-Oct-2015/indian-held-kashmir-high-court-says-kashmir-never-merged-with- india 9 This view is challenged by some who argue that from 1946 onwards the Muslim League mobilized the Muslims on the basis of Islam and for Mr. Jinnah to declare in his 11th Aug 1947 speech that Pakistan will be a secular state, is thus not understood. 10 Muhammad Munir, “From Jinnah to Zia,” Vanguard Books, Lahore, 1980, P.34. 11 The Friday Times, “Comment: Saleem Shahzad, Al Qaeda and ISI,” Khaled Ahmed, June 17th 2011, Lahore.
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It can very well be argued that the real father or the Westphalian design of statecraft and of Islam in Pakistan was not Mr. Jinnah but bounded sovereignty . It also makes it difficult Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi and the for the law enforcement organs of the state to nation that we see today carries his design smolder the fire of Islamic extremist radicalism more than anyone else. (after all the challengers claim to be following Islam); the radicals claim that they are The Martial Law of 1977 declared by military advocating what is in the Constitution. dictator General Zia-ul-Haq further shaped the country on the lines of Maulana Maududi, he The adoption of a global Islamic identity has brought changes into the Pakistan created many issues for an average Pakistani Constitution 1973, that formally brought causing a crisis of state, where there is an discrimination between Muslim and non- ongoing strident debate as to the definition of Muslim citizens. Identity cards and passports who is a good Muslim? It has placed sects and designated citizens into categories of Muslim different denominations into grave danger at and non-Muslim. General Zia-ul-Haq made the the hands of sectarianism and terrorism who ‘Objective Resolution,’ a substantive part of become targets of opposing sects; something the 1973 Constitution, it made Islam the state that Justice Munir warned against in his 1954 religion and laid out an Islamic narrative for report. Pakistan. He also promulgated the Blasphemy Law, something that the Jamaat-e-Islami had The profession of an Islamic identity by demanded in 1949, he crafted a system of Pakistan has thus stoked the fires of radicalism Shariat Courts, introduced Sharia compliant and extremism, weakening state cohesion and laws and devised a new system of Usher and citizen solidarity. The laments of Justice Munir Zakat creating religious tithes. He introduced are thus not misplaced, when he inquired how an effective Islamic system of social welfare can there be peace in Pakistan, when there are called Zakat that transferred considerable 73 different religious sects each one resources to the low income groups. advocating that it is the correct version of Islam and others are deviates, who must be However, Gen Zia was quite primitive in the ostracized as blasphemous?12 case of women rights; woman were marginalised as citizens, when the evidence This has created a permanent sectarian war law regarding rape was weakened, leading to inside Pakistan and has led to the emergence the absurd result of converting a failed rape of private armies belonging to religious parties charge due to weak prosecution, into an who began to deliver private Fatwas that are adultery charge against a woman enforced through armed persons. However, complainant, leading to a possible sentence of there is an exception to this exposition. For as death by stoning! Thus Pakistan’s ideology as explained at page 4, in one case radicalism and it stands today is based on a conservative extremism may actually be a mechanism to interpretation of Islam that opens it to many protect the Islamic identity of the people of contradictions and challenges affecting Pakistan. negatively on the internal cohesion of Pakistan
12 Ibid (1), Page 37
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One direct result of creating a narrow and 4. Contributory Factors exclusive Muslim identity in Pakistan is the surfacing of an equally violent Hindu identity While Pakistan suffers from thin layering of as a counter to the Muslim “other.” India institutions that it inherited from the well began its journey towards its own form of structured part of British India with a primitive radicalism and extremism with the founding level of state penetration in areas now of the Hindu Mahasaba (HM) in 1915, that composed of Fata, KP, Baluchistan, parts of began with the intention of creating a Great interior Sindh, and Southern Punjab; thus it Hindu Association for the welfare of the not only faced the problem of establishing a Hindus of India but as tension of Hindu- viable state with a vast web of infrastructure Muslim acrimony mounted in India after the but had to face security problems on its violent Hindu-Muslim relations, the (HM) borders with India and in the West with changed its constitution in 1937 and Afghanistan, as the latter laid claims to the demanded the establishment of a Hindu Pashtun inhabited belt in Fata and KP. nation in India.13 Despite these challenges that would have
been quite a chore for a more endowed The seed of Hindu extremist radicalism that state, Pakistan not only met these challenges mirrored Pakistan’s also copied its ‘Jihadist’ but in the course of its growth also attained outreach when the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak nuclear status, which by any standards is a (RSS) became highly influential, akin to remarkable achievement. Pakistan’s Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) when the RSS began to exercise control over the BJP that International experience has shown that swept to power in 1998. radicalism and extremism grows in those
countries that exhibit the following attributes; The RSS today has strong links to the current - Where societies are conservative with a Indian leadership and is seeking to change low level of education/literacy India’s existing historical narrative.14 The RSS is - The prevalence of an exclusive national an extremist radical body whose declared aim narrative based on ideology is to undo the Partition and form a united - Weak internal social cohesion India, by reclaiming Punjab and parts of Sindh - Weak delivery of social services to the from Pakistan.15 To anyone who is aware of population the tragic history of India and Pakistan it is - Endemic corruption clear that unless there is a change in the - Poor enforcement of rule of law narratives of both Pakistan and India, they are - Presence of criminal, drug and land hurtling towards each other threatening Mafias that challenge the state’s another conflict that may be nuclear this time. governance and are entrenched
- Non-democratic approach towards
13 “The Oxford Companion to Pakistani History,” (ed) Ayesha Jalal, Oxford, 2012, P. 201
14 A.G Noorani, “The RSS,” Criterion Quarterly, April/June 2015, Islamabad, Vol 10, No 2, PP 30-50,
15 Ibid (4), P.32
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politics An initial multiplier of radical and extremist - Presence of safe-havens beyond control of behavior amongst the Muslims of the sub- state where extremists are trained and continent was the result of the extinction of operations planned the Caliphate as a result of Turkey’s defeat - Complacent attitude of State towards in World War I. It lead to the creation of the private militias Khilafat movement in India, when more - Weak local governance institutions than 60,000 thousand persons left India as - Skewed income distribution. they were living in ‘Darul Harb’, the land of war, since India was then under the rule of However, this analysis of primary causes has Britain. In such an eventuality scripture thrown up an obvious exception, it is that a advised that Muslims must shift to ‘Darul traditional and conservative society that fears Islam’, or the land of peace (Muslim ruled the intrusion of a modernizing state as a country), which in this case happened to be threat to its way of life will rely on radicalism neighboring Afghanistan. The mobilization and extremism as a protective mechanism and on the Khilafat issue thus increased radical will thus be open to the dangers of Fascism; if thoughts amongst the Muslims.16 a healthy society is conceived as one, that has a high degree of social cohesion, than any Punjab, that is today the real epicentre of change brought into the framework based on radical and extremist thought in Pakistan, religion (with its myriad sects and variations), and the birth place of the Punjabi Taliban, will weaken its social cohesion and threaten its became radicalized when a group of activist continuous growth through replication. If that Muslims decided to protect the Muslim is the case, then radicalism and extremism population of Kashmir from the become tools for sealing that social sphere depredation of its Hindu Dogra ruler in the against an intrusion. It will thus create a 1920s. A group of religio-nationalist situation where radicalism and extremism Muslims, left the Indian National Congress become a protective mechanism; however and formed the Majlis Arar Islam, a Jihadist while such an ideological state appears strong organization, for protecting the Muslims in against outside influences/interferences it is Kashmir. This movement was led by Mazhar prone to a higher degree of internal conflict Ali Azhar of Sialkot. Many bands of Jihadis from within and the danger of Fascism if such were sent into Kashmir and it fought the a society adopts a secular approach divorced Dogra police that compelled the Maharajah from effective democratic practices. of Kashmir to complain to the British. This led to the arrest of 45,000 Ahrars in Punjab The following are some of the other important and some 5,000 in other parts of India.17 historical events that have encouraged the growth of radicalism and extremism in The ethnic and religious affinity of the Pakistan; Punjabis, who later formed the largest.
16 Khalid Aziz, ”Conditions for a Successful Transition from Post 2014 Afghanistan,” Riport-DIIS shared report, http://www.diis.dk/en/research/afghanistan-in-transition; P. 28
17 Arif Jamal; “The History of Islamist Militancy in Pakistani Punjab,” The Jamestown Foundation, USA, August 2011.
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ethnic component of the population in Afghanistan rebelled against the Pakistan (more than 50% or 90 million), Communist take-over in Afghanistan and has thus provided the Kashmir cause a the Soviet invasion of their country. More very strong lobby. Given the fact that the than 5 million left their homes and became Punjab contributes more than 70% of the refugees in Pakistan, and settled mostly in country’s armed forces18 and with the the Pashtun areas of Pakistan in FATA, KP military’s stronghold on the policy on and parts of Baluchistan. This was the Kashmir/India, no reduction of tension period of the Cold-War and an with India can be expected unless the international coalition composed of Punjab for some reason decides to shift its Pakistan, the US, Saudi Arabia, China, discourse. It is not very likely. Egypt and other Muslim and European nations supported a massive Jihad led by After the creation of Pakistan in 1947 the Pakistan and orchestrated by its intelligence dispute over Kashmir led to the first war services and amply supported by Pakistan’s between India and Pakistan in 1948. Since religious parties, particularly the Jamaat-e- Pakistan had very few regular troops Islami, eventually resulted in defeating the available to defend against the better Soviet Union leading to its withdrawal from organized Indian military, it encouraged Afghanistan in 1989. However, after the the tribesmen from FATA to help defend withdrawal the armed and trained Kashmir; the tribesmen formed Jihadi Mujahideen extremists radicalized Muslims groups for Kashmir, they also included throughout the world but more particularly Afghan tribesmen from Khost and Pakhtia in Pakistan and Afghanistan. adjoining FATA. India objected to the Afghan government. It succeeded in The Iranian Revolution in 1979 gave a fill- obtaining a ‘fatwa’ from the Afghan up to Sunni sectarian militant groups in Jamaat ul Ulami, declaring that the call for Pakistan like the Lashkar e Jangvi and Jihad by Afghan tribes was illegal. Sepah e Sihaba to apostate the Shias who However, this declaration was denounced formed about 20% of the population in by the renowned Afghan Islamic scholar Pakistan. To reduce their influence Saudi Hazrat Shor Bazar who ruled the Jihad in Arabia began to building up of supportt Kashmir as a valid Islamic duty of the amongst the Deobandi leaning parties by Afghan tribes.19 supporting the construction of Madrassas particularly in Federally Administered Tribal Another important event that led to Areas (FATA) and KP but also in other parts. strengthening of radicalism and extremist They also began funding of the Sunni thought in Pakistan was the Soviet religious political parties in Pakistan. Let us invasion of Afghanistan in December remember that this proxy war between the 1979. Many of the traditional leaders of Saudis and the Iranians was being played
18 Friday Times, “Federalizing the armed forces,” Zafarullah Khan, 19th Sept. 2014; http://www.thefridaytimes.com/tft/federalizing-the-armed-forces/
19 Ibid (10), P. 30.
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out within the larger regional issue of the will continue and matters will not be any Soviet intervention in Afghanistan. different in the future.
During 1979-89 ample private and Thus whenever any future event is government support was afforded to those considered to be a threat to Islam, the Afghans, who had sought shelter in regional response in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This show of hospitality was a Pakistan will be the same as in the past. It natural continuation of past solidarity thus shows that the prevalence of Islamic when similar events in history of the region radicalism and extremism is a defensive occurred. During the Khilafat movement default position of an Islamic people to Muslims from India migrated to defend their way of life when under threat. Afghanistan, before and after the Soviet The Afghan Taliban’s struggle against the occupation the Afghans sought refuge in Soviets and later the US and NATO since Pakistan; it showed clearly that there was a 9/11 can be seen as a defensive war to lot of Islamic solidarity between the people protect their Islamic way of life. This also of Afghanistan and Pakistan who act more explains why the military and political plans in Islamic terms when confronting religious of the recent past have failed in related events despite what their Afghanistan. respective governments may wish to think at the secular level as nation states. It was Another element that has led to the this similarity of cultural thinking that led strengthening of radicals in Pakistan is Pakistan’s security managers to support connected with the ongoing contest the Mujahideen in Afghanistan after the between the civil and military elite. It is the withdrawal of the Russians in 1989 and main reason for the instability and that ultimately led to the coming of power disharmony in policy and its of the Taliban in Afghanistan in 1996, with implementation related to counter Pakistan’s support as a continuation of its radicalism and extremism in Pakistan. It has past policy of supporting the Afghan led to a weakening of the state, adoption Mujahideen. of questionable policies and destabilization of the State. Such moves are undertaken by Afghans particularly and others have the military due to alleged corruption and criticized the Pakistani intelligence and incompetency of the civilian elite, some of military establishment for fostering a policy the critique is factual. of “Strategic Depth,” a type of Monroe doctrine in Afghanistan. However, if one After the fourth Martial law of General examined the historical facts, it is the Pervaiz Musharraf, elections were people of the region themselves who have conducted in 2008. Since then it appears exhibited solidarity when they feared that that the civilian leadership is mentally Islam or their way of life was under threat. prepared to manage the state in The current secular narrative of Afghan cooperation with the military. While this nationalism is contrary to this conclusion, struggle for pre-eminence between the two but as the past has shown, this solidarity institutions has been going on, Pakistan has
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progressed in the sense that other conjectured that it was done to pressurise institutions have begun to weigh in like the Parliament’s ascendancy. the Supreme Court, media and civil society. Thus there are silver linings to the While Dr Tahirul Qadri endorsed a rural Pakistan story. populism to mobilize farmers to seek their rights, Imran Khan’s populism was meant In the U.S Constitutions while there is a to mobilize the youth in the country. The system of checks and balance between result was a reduced confidence of the different organs of state viz the President, Prime Minister by calling into question his Congress and the Supreme Court (and the mandate. It is a moot point whether the Media); in Pakistan the same principle is in Dharnas could have occurred without the existence through the check and balance TV coverage? Its positive outcome was the by the institutions. In this case it is the political education of the Pakistani people. Prime Minister, the political parties in Another positive outcome of the ‘Dharnas’ Parliament, the military, as well as the was to build momentum for an agenda for powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), change connected to;20 the Supreme Court, Media and Civil Electoral fraud Society that form temporary alliances to Corruption influence policies. The periodic disharmony Unemployment sown by events like ‘Memogate Rights of women, peasantry, youth Controversy in October 2011,’ or the It established the right to protest aftermath for the violation of Pakistani and can be seen as a sovereignty by the U.S in the raid on democratizing move Osama bin Laden compound inside Pakistan by the US or the Imran Khan and It is another moot point that when the Tahir-u- Qadri famous Dharnas were used Pakistan state claims that its laws are Sharia in the ongoing tussle between the civil and compliant and Islamic, then why does a the military elites to weaken each other. demand for Sharia made by the radical extremists, who have challenged the State In 2013-2014, Imran Khan of the PTI and in FATA, KP and other parts of the country? Dr. Tahir-u- Qadri of the Pakistan Awami An answer to this dilemma was provided by Tehrik (PAT) disrupted the working of the Munir Commission as far back as 1954, Pakistan government and brought it under when it pointed to the existence of more intense pressure, by staging long protests than 73 variants of Islam in Pakistan. Their on the roads of Islamabad, in which Imran presence will always lead to disagreement Khan criticized the 2013 elections alleging on fundamentals, he said – thus the ‘Sharia’ that these were stolen through a well that exists may not be in the form desired thought out strategy by the PML-N, the by some of the radicals like Mullah Judiciary and the Geo TV (Pakistan’s Fazlullah, Sufi Mohammad or the votaries premier TV network). It was latter of the TTP and the Jihadi Organizations.
20 I.A. Rehman, Year of the dharna, Dawn, 1st Jan, 2015, Islamabad, http://is.gd/NjuzHU
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Under this scenario the extremist attack on For Akram Awan the Jihad in Pakistan was the state will continue until only one of higher priority than in Kashmir. He religious school of thought will prevail. worried that Jihad activity in Kashmir led to Does it mean constant strife in Pakistan? brutal repression by the Indian Military and instead of being a positive process helping To better understand the challenge that the Kashmiris, it caused them more misery. radicals impose for the state in Pakistan, is examplified in the case of Tanzeem Al- In December 2000, he announced to Akhwan, (The Brotherhood Organization), launch a sit-in in the federal capital, led by Maulana Akram Awan. The Islamabad, until the government agreed to organization’s heartland is in district impose Sharia. The writ of the state was Chakwal, in the Punjab, one of Pakistan's compromised when Gen Musharraf decided most prolific recruitment area for soldiers to handle Awan with kid gloves and offered of the Pakistan military. The aim of this to negotiate with him rather than arrest organization is to impose Sharia in him. Pakistan and that aim is to be fulfilled through the use of force via a Jihad if need On 24th December 2000, the Corp be. Commander, Rawalpindi along with the Minister for Religious Affairs, met Awan and asked him to extend the dead-line. He In 1995, during the government of Benazir went back but laid down the precedent Bhutto, a coup attempt was made by that latter on was followed by Maulana Major General Zaheer ul Islam, Brigadier Ghazi of the Red-Mosque in his stand-off Mustansar Billa and Maulana Akram with Gen Musharraf in 2007 and by Awan. While the officers were arrested Maulana Tahir-ul-Qadri and Imran Khan and tried by a court martial, Maulana when they disrupted life in Islamabad in Akram escaped reckoning, when his name 2013-2014. was excluded from the charge reportedly
due to influence exercised in his favour by This trend of not enforcing the law against some senior officers. But the charade of radicals and extremist was repeated when Awan continued because the state refused Maulana Sufi Mohammadd, who in 2001 to arrest him. led a Lashkar of Pakistanis from Dir and
Swat to support the Taliban in Afghanistan Akram Awan next re-appears in1998, against NATO forces (waging war against a when he rallied his radical Islamic group to foreign state is an offense), he was arrested seek the imposition of Sharia in Pakistan. in 2001 but was released without He began a process of mobilization and he sentencing.21 Lately, terrorism charges was not prevented and in December 1999, against him for waging war against the he announced the formation of Al - State were dropped (for his role in the Akhwan Force, for participating in Jihad in violence in Swat in 2009-10). Kashmir in collaboration with LeT.
21 Khalid Aziz, "The Main Causes of the Breakdown of Governance and Rise of Militancy in Swat", RIPORT, Peshawar, 2010, P 16-17, http://is.gd/i0cTU5
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Similarly, Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi from LeT, o Although the common man believes who is the main accused behind the 2008 Pakistan to have Sharia, yet the Mumbai attack was arrested but then radicals say that Pakistan is not an released by a court in April 2015. India Islamic state; such a belief is fuelled by even took up this matter in the UN religious parties that has encouraged Security Council and wanted sanctions to demands for an Islamic state with be imposed on Pakistan for its inaction, a Sharia. move that was vetoed by China. o Many demand Sharia believing that it This soft approach towards radicals was will bring back the glories of the 7th repeated in Waziristan, when talks with and 8th century Islamic supremacy. the radicals were preferred over “…with the dead weight of centuries enforcement of criminal law. The first such on his back, [he] is frustrated, and talks were held with the militant bewildered and hesitant to turn one 24 commander Nek Mohammad, under the corner or the other.” 'Shakai Agreement,' of March 2004, when as a result the military's morale nosedived, o The Munir Commission opined that after the Corp Commander (11 Corp), Islam could only be revived if its General Safdar, a senior and respected citizens would convert into, “a citizen soldier, was asked by the rebel of the present and the future world commander Nek Mohammad to disarm from the archaic incongruity that he is before the start of the talks and leave in today.” behind his ceremonial revolver.22 It is alleged that since the Pakistani There are three possible explanations why institutions are sympathetic to Islamic demand for Sharia persists and why Jihadis, it was an inheritance bequeathed to radicals are willing to use force for its it by the Afghan Jihad (1978-1988) and the attainment are? Islamization spree generated by General Zia-ul-Haq, in the 1980s. Such a mind-set is The root cause of radicalism in Pakistan is further fueled by hundreds of ‘Madrassas’ well documented in the Munir that have been funded by Saudi Arabia and Commission Report published in 1954.23 It other Gulf citizens. It is alleged that the found a lack of unanimity on numerous Madrassas are used as a force multiplier by issues related to Sharia and the the radicals, and can be used anywhere in management of a Muslim State. The the world if desired; in a sense this provides report found that; Pakistan with a global capability and thus creates a nuisance value for her in
22 22 ( http://is.gd/JHuaoT )
23 Munir Commission Report, 1954, http://isgd/2TkqPi
24 Quoted in, Criterion Quarterly, April/June 2015, “The Radicalizing Ideology – its Root Causes,” Arif Humayun, PP 20- 29, Islamabad
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international affairs.25 It allows Pakistan so far has failed in transforming itself like leverage for negotiations on many Japan, South Korea or Taiwan. defense, economic and security related matters. 5. Imposition of Sharia
Before the Zarb-e-Azb operation was It is another moot point that although Pakistan launched on 14th June 2014, Jihadis were claims that its laws are Sharia compliant and considered an asset to be used if there was Islamic as laid in its Constitution, yet this claim an Indian attack on Pakistan. Such a is contested by the radical extremists, who strategy becomes an issue for Pakistan have challenged the State in Fata, KP and when there is criticism from India or some other parts of the country demanding the other countries accusing the use of imposition of Sharia? An answer to this Pakistani territory for training or planning dilemma was provided by the Munir to launch any terrorist operation abroad. Commission as far back as 1954, when it pointed to the existence of more than 73 Some strategic thinkers in Pakistan believe variants of Islam in Pakistan. The mind-set will that the Jihadis can be useful tools for always lead to disagreement on fundamentals, fulfilling strategic foreign policy goals in he said – thus the ‘Sharia’ that exists may not India, Afghanistan or elsewhere since their be in the form desired by some of the radicals actions can be denied. But now both like Mullah Fazlullah, Sufi Mohammad or other Afghanistan and India are pressurizing leaders of the TTP and the Jihadi Tanzeemats! Pakistan to come clean on sanctuaries in In this situation it appears that the extremist Fata and decry the non-enforcement of attack on the state will continue until only one 26 law against Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi etc. religious school of thought prevails. Does it mean constant strife in Pakistan? It is the conundrum of these events that allows T.V Paul, to define Pakistan as a, "The Warrior State" that derives rentier 6. Key Drivers of Radicalism income by exploiting its strategic space for
foreign policy objectives; in the process it A Crisis Analysis Framework for analyzing achieves modernization of its defense drivers of conflict in KP and FATA27 found that capacity, including building a nuclear there were four main types of drivers that capability and also obtains development generated radicalism normatively; it is funds. However, the later remain of apparent that this framework is valid for secondary importance - thus Pakistan explaining the rise of radicalism for Pakistan as stagnates as a warrior state and unlike a whole. The following are the key driving such states in Europe or Asia who have factors; transformed into global players, Pakistan
25 International Crisis Group, “Pakistan: Madrasas, Extremism and the Military,” Asia Report No: 36, 29th July 2002, http://bit.ly/1KLeB8l 26 Dawn, “FO unaware of fresh proof against RAW,” head-line report by Baqir Sajjad Syed, May 8th 2015, Page 1 27 ADB et al, (2010), ‘Post Crisis Need Assessment – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa & Federally Administered Tribal Areas,’ Government of Pakistan.
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Economic; it is noted that long term economic Corruption. deprivation and hopeless poverty, below the Weaponization of society. national average, provides the radicals an Weak justice system. opportunity to criticize the government for its Poor over all governance. failure to look after its population and creates a splintering of the social contract between This paper confirms the finding of the social the marginalized population and the state. contract papers in its depiction of the While economic deprivation does not by itself contributory factors for radicalism and lead to radicalism, but enables the militant extremism in section 4. However, the impact groups to contextualize their appeals for of these deficits are serious as the presence of popular support and to challenge the state proxies and reliance on a core religious based under the slogans of social justice, equity and identity, in a sense provides a “revelatory” equal opportunity. Those of the religious bent justification for; support the mimicking of the Islamic model of the state as it existed in Islamic history during Denial of political and civil liberties. the period of the first four Caliphs of Islam as Violation of human rights by state their preferred model for replication. function arise.
Political; lack of trust of the people in the state Resource capture from its federating units for diminishes if the state does not a) provide funding the national agenda based on the basic services to the people in the health, religious identity with which Pakistan views education and drinking water sector, b) trust the external world. These factors lead to the of the people and belief in the state is further weakening of national cohesion and imperils diminished if avenues of political participation the social contract. to the people isn’t provided. This further breaks down the social contract and may Security and Geostrategic drivers could encourage the citizens to seek support of the encourage the growth of radicalism by radicals, c) if a state fails to provide justice to association. In 1979-88, Pakistan supported a its citizens also encourages people to demand ‘Jihad’ against the Soviets in Afghanistan. imposition of an Islamic system of rule that is This increased the number of radicals as modeled upon the system of justice delivered there was a fraternity of Jihadists from all during the rule of the four caliphs. over the world and this increased their influence in Afghanistan and Pakistan and In a separate study by FES, Pakistan regarding generally throughout the world. the, “Social Contract in Pakistan”, it is argued that the unit of the Pakistan state is withering Pakistan's fear from a resurgent and radical away because of the following causes;28 Hindu India and Pakistan’s un-requited claims Lack of institutional coherence. on Kashmir, still remains unresolved after 67 States lack of capacity to deal with years after Partition of the sub-continent, issues. leading to the adoption of a policy that looks
28 Syed Jaffar Ahmed and Zaffar Junejo “Social Contract in Pakistan,” FES, Islamabad, 2015
18 the other way when Jihadis undertake and revival of traditional mechanisms in Fata radicalization of the Kashmir population who social cohesion has improved and that are under Indian occupation. On the other discourages radical thought and extremism. hand sectarian organizations are waging a private Jihad against other sects of Islam It may be mentioned that Pakistan and within Pakistan; the conflict between the Afghanistan have had disagreement over their Sunnis and Shias is one good example. international border in the West. It was one of the reasons for Afghanistan and India to be Social Drivers, the final group of drivers of supportive of Pashtun Irredentism radicalism in the Crisis Analysis Framework is characterized by the Pukhtunistan Movement related to social cohesion. Weak social and it caused problems for Pakistan. It led cohesion in Fata encourages the growth of Pakistani strategic planners to align with the radical thought that destroys social cohesion Afghan Pashtuns so that Afghanistan had and without which a tribal society loses its difficulty in using the Pashtun card in support mechanisms to prevent the weakening of its of India’s influence. protected fraternal tribal system. Another instance where radicalism was The presence or absence of social cohesion encouraged was the support provided to the will indicate whether the situation in an area Afghan Taliban who emerged in 1994 in will be conducive or resistant to radicalism and Afghanistan; Pakistan’s strategic planners extremism. Briefly the policy recommendations thought that supporting the Afghan Taliban flowing out of a study of social cohesion will give them influence over Afghan policy inform us as under; that would be useful for keeping India away. Pakistan allowed the Afghan Taliban to use its Number of IDPs must not increase as those territory in FATA where they created safe- displaced call for vengeance and criticize havens that were used to fight against NATO the government for their predicament. in Afghanistan, but their presence in Fata also Secondly when tribal society is absent the radicalized the tribesmen and enhanced the ground is occupied by the extremists; the ranks of the radicals, who latter on created military can weaken the fighting ability of their own movement called the Tehrik-e- the extremist but it cannot replace the civil Taliban Pakistan that was formed in 2007 to society that has to dampen the influence assist the Afghan Taliban and to resist the US of extremists. Unless the IDPs return to operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan; they their areas the extremists will remain. were also anti Pakistan military and launched many attacks on it in Fata and elsewhere. They Violence and military operations also carried out terrorist bombings against the discourage the holding of social events civilians and the military. They are Pashtuns and gathering that lead to greater social and are aligned to the Deobandi version of cohesion and discourage radicalism and Islam and thus are closely aligned to Maulana extremist tendencies. Fazlur Rehman’s Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam (JUI) party. With improvement in dispute resolution
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One point that is established by this discussion extremism and it can be said that the income is the close link between Pakistan’s identity as from crime has become a greater generator of an Islamic state and the birth of extremism. It extremism. It is thus correct to conclude that is but natural that if a nation’s identity is based the criminal syndicates that have now on religion then religious history and dogma proliferated in the region use the extremists to will become the language of social response to indulge in violence against the state to keep it circumstances. Clearly, given that the demand involved in security matters so as to prevent it for creation of Pakistan was based on religion from undertaking enforcement against crime. meant that radical thought and extremist action based on religious dogma would be a This phenomenon has as yet been little studied common occurrence once the new state came but to my mind is a much larger threat to state into being in 1947. There is also a strong link survival and its sovereignty than extremism. A between ideology and strategy. It was thus partial theory of this mechanism is given not exceptional that the support was provided below but more work is required to be done to the Afghan Taliban both at its birth and to fully understand its implication and to subsequently. transform the 9/11 narrative of Jihadism that is now outdated. Criminal racketeering has However one debilitating aspect of such a penetrated Pakistan’s cities like Karachi and is policy, based on a religious approach, was to present in most of Pakistan’s rural areas. The weaken Pakistan’s enforcement of the writ of police and state organs have been weakened the state due to the ambivalence in the use of and it is very likely now that money, force against Islamist radicals and extremist. It employment and economic growth is is only now during the implementation of generated more by the illicit economy than the National Action Plan that strict enforcement formal one. Globalization and the ease of has led to the emergence of huge challenges transfer of information and funds as well as in Fata, Swat and other parts. Not only did goods, makes the illicit economy very lucrative radicalism increase but the government had to particularly for those who benefit from this spend huge resources to battle the form of activity and when the state is seen as consequent rise of terrorism and the a stopper rather than a facilitator of simultaneous rise in criminality; for it is the enterprise. presence of income from crime that feeds the extremist forces. This suggests close monitoring of the flow of funds from abroad 7. Emergence of the new to individuals, Madrassas, and political parties. economy and convergence of Since the government’s focus has been on the extremists with crime syndicates extremist organizations and the criminal syndicalization of drug production and its Another explanation regarding the growth of trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling of radical and extremist sentiments in large tracts goods, weapon smuggling and involvement of of Pakistan is not related to the normal base the extremist in other crimes has created a line presumption that such considerations much deeper problem that has transcended have been generated as a result of post-
20 colonial reconfiguration of state narratives states incoherence and replacement by anchored in religion and culture; an amalgam criminal syndicates; this internal re- of a reality that can be called ‘local’ as configuration of the balance in society compared with the previous ‘metropolitan’ between the different classes is further import based economy dependent upon the affected by globalization and the acceleration previous Colonial states framework. in trade and commerce leading to more corruption and the conduct of trade and However this ‘indigenization,’ can also be businesses under the radar of the regulations. viewed as the melt-down of systems, This cuts costs and brings down prices. bureaucracies, and rule of law institutions. Its other associated attributes are a shift from a However, since there is extra-ordinary evasion democratic form of governance to one based of taxes and duties the revenues of the state upon the domination by elite state institutions dive despite a huge growth in the volume of that since Independence have emerged as the trade. The profit from trade is ploughed back new power centers in post-colonial states and by the criminal syndicates into improving their is typified by a gelling of its military, capacities; for instance the profitable working intelligence and police functionaries who are of the port at Karachi led to the creation of supported by elements like political parties, huge profits for the local criminal and criminal syndicates and war lords of sorts. syndicates.
Over a period of time, while the strength of Recent news about Karachi exhibit a galloping the legitimate state institutions and criminalization and loss of state revenue. democratic institutions begins to fade either criminalization and loss of state revenue. through military take-over or a deteriorating civil-military discourse, the post-colonial state As these criminal links grow the margin of begins to totter due to social dissonance. profits for businesses and criminal Mafias Normally at this stage the economic indicators increase, by by-passing customs and payment also begin to decline. In such societies of duties and taxes. It clearly indicates that ‘Independence’ has normally resulted in a port cities and border regions in states will galloping birth rate that adds pressure for jobs tend to have the largest compromises of state and employment; a large proportion of such sovereignty, high presence of criminal activity, populations belong to the 18-30 years age massive leakage of government revenues from group. So the societies are prone to periodic taxes and duties; the growth of the criminal spikes of collective action resulting in the economy and employment generation by it for regular out-pouring of street disturbance and a majority of citizens provides it with protest that leads to a further decline in state acceptance and a form of legitimacy leading coherence and economic growth. to its expansion and growth in recruitment. The state is further weakened and The nature of such substitution of the marginalized. legitimate state by increasing criminality that we have become used to witnessing in the last How does this economy interact with the high decade of the 20th century, thus leads to the levels of radicalism and presence of extremist
21 who could be driven by religious motives or the state to their comfort level, where they based on even secular manifesto as is the case cannot interfere with the working of the of the Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in criminal enterprises and fiefdoms but Karachi? The youth who are looking for ensuring that the ports and trade are kept livelihoods become a part of its armed force open for generating wealth. This economy and act acts as its enforcers or drug sellers. becomes a local economy creating However the difference in employment incomes and employment for a vast benefits for the youth working with a religious majority of the population. or a criminal syndicates or even with the illegal army of a secular political entity as in Karachi Evidently strategic planners believe that radical is worthy of further research. fighters from Islamist groups may provide Pakistan with an instrument to assist her in This clearly shows the following trends case of a war with any country. It was this emerging in Pakistan: rationale that led to the growth of Pakistani Weakening of state sovereignty rightist Jihadist parties that have now become Strengthening of the Deep State a menace not only to the Pakistani state but to Loss of legitimacy of regular state international security. These warriors served a institutions like Parliament dual purpose. They provided Pakistani strategists a tool whose cross border Weakening of rule of Law capabilities could be denied, or they could be Emergence of powerful local Mafias in useful to draw the world's attention to urban centers in Pakistan on the lines of unresolved problem of Kashmir; they could Karachi also be used inside the country to deal with Convergence of extremists and criminal other 'security' concerns where legal problems syndicates could arise by superior courts exercising their A large % of global trade and services human right jurisdiction. As an example we are being transacted below the radar of look at the Kashmiri Jihadis. legitimacy and non-payment of taxes and duties The criminal enterprises mask their acts 8. Kashmiri Jihadi Structure by using extremists and radicals when the need arises. It is always fruitful for The Jihad in Kashmir is led by a consortium of their business to keep the state radicals under the leadership of ‘The United functionaries away from its Jihad Council,’ also called the Muttahida Jihad management. Council (MJC). It is a radical militant group The criminal syndicates have become that was formed in 1994. It is currently regional and international to keep the headed by Syed Salahuddin, the leader of illegal business of drugs, human Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, the largest Jihad group trafficking, kidnapping and even regular operating in the Indian administered part of trade outside the state sovereignty. Kashmir. This organization was created to The syndicates with the help of the unify and consolidate efforts of various armed radicals and extremists have neutralized militant groups fighting against Indian rule in local police and military capacities of Kashmir. It streamlined support to them for
22 continuing their fight against the Indian The following operations were conducted by military. the Pakistan military to restore the writ of the state; Amongst the member organizations of (MJC) . 2007 Operation Rah-e-Haq are: Harakat-ul-Ansar, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, . 2007-09 Operation Rah-e-Rast Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen, Al-Jihad, Al-Barq, Al- . 2009 Operation Sherdil (Bajaur) Badr, Ikhwan-ul-Mussalmin, Tehrik-ul- . 2014 Operation Zarb e Azb Mujahedeen. By early 1999, fifteen organizations were affiliated with the Council, Similarly the Jihadists including sprinkling of though out of these only five are considered Kashmiris are linked with the Punjabi Taliban effective. They are: Lashkar-e-Toiba, Hizb-ul- who had become a formidable network in Mujahideen, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Al-Badr association with Al-Qaeda that by 2005 had and Tehrik-i-Jihad. Many of these re-located in Fata, after its disintegration in organizations are proscribed by the United Afghanistan. They also linked with the already States and the UN. existing Haqqani Network – and resurrected the previous links with the Central Asian and The main demands of the MJC for affecting a East Turkmenistan movements of the Soviet cease-fire in Kashmir are; 1) recall of Indian Jihad era, and hence became a formidable troops from Kashmir, 2) opening of trilateral radical fighting machine established in N. talks between Kashmiris, India and Pakistan, 3) Waziristan, after completely destroying the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.29 The Jihad writ of the Pakistan state there. There was activities in Kashmir and its links with some intense pressure on Pakistan to undertake an Jihadi organizations in Pakistan led to four operation against this infrastructure in N. consequences for Pakistan; Waziristan; it finally launched an anti-terrorist operation called Zarb e Azb against these As the Kashmir Jihadis were ostensibly organizations in June 2014. The goal of this adopting Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir, the operation is to cleanse the region of the security and intelligence services considered radical/terrorist organizations and to restore them as non-hostile; erroneously as they soon the writ of the state. discovered when the radicals began to occupy territory in Swat in 2009-10. Thus indicating After the defeat of the Taliban in Afghanistan their autonomy from the government of in December 2001 many of them took refuge Pakistan. The Pakistan army had to wrest the in North Waziristan, where the Haqqanis had writ of the state after undertaking bloody previously developed a sanctuary near multiple operations in Swat; most of the Miramshah and were reportedly close to Pakistani military operations have only one Pakistani Jihadi infrastructure since 1978. A goal – to restore the writ of the state lost to group of Taliban from Afghanistan found Jihadists who began attacking their own refuge in Quetta and began to be identified compatriots! as, The Quetta Shura. Hanif Atmar, the Afghan Advisor for security has recently
29 The News Tribe, ‘Mansoor Ijaz offered package to MJC over ceasefire in Kashmir: Salahuddin,’ http://bitly.com/1K7Zhcs, 28th Nov, 2011.
23 accused the Haqqani group in the Afghan - LeT and several radical Deobandi groups Parliament, for having a role in the recent also operate inside Afghanistan 30 fighting in Kundaz. against NATO/US forces and in Fata against the Pakistani state. For these reasons Fata came to be referred as - Al Badr and Hizbul Mujahideen include the most dangerous place on the globe! ethnic Kashmiris and focus on Kashmir Pakistan's credibility as a serious counter- terrorism partner hit rock bottom, when in Another group of radical entities focus on the May 2011, a US Special Forces Operation sectarian strife against the Shias and other killed Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, a town minorities and include; close to Islamabad. It was then that in the US . Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Sipah-e- mind Pakistan began to be referred as Sahaba Pakistan (SSP); both are sectarian ‘Frenemy,’ a country that is an ally but acts like extremist groups that are pro Saudi and an enemy. It is indeed a dishonorable title to anti-Iranian and under the influence of the carry. Deobandi JUI political party in the National
Assembly. 9. Pakistan’s Extremist . As explained earlier a new tribal Organizations consortium of radical groups emerged in
Fata in 2007, called the Tehreek-e-Taliban, Pakistan's extremist organizations form a Pakistan (TTP); it is an amorphous group multi-faceted mosaic and merit a short that changes leadership and allegiances description to understand how they are when required, and is more of a net-work integrated with one another? of tribal fighters aligned closely with the The radicals who are focused on Kashmir, Afghan Taliban. Their demand is to make include a cluster of Deobandi groups linked to Pakistan Sharia compliant. They associate the Jamiate Ulema-e-Islam of Maulana Fazlur with Al Qaeda and the Punjabi Taliban; the Rehman and includes; radicals have used terrorism as a weapon . Jaish-e-Mohammad, and exchange assets including suicide . Harkat-ul-Ansar/Harkat-ul-Mujahideen bombers regionally on the pattern of any . Ahl-e-Hadith including; franchise.
- The Punjab based Lashkar-e-Taiba . Before June 2014 Pakistan was - The Jamat-e-Islami influenced groups confronting the radical outfits in Fata by Hizbul Mujahideen and Al Badr appeasement rather than defeating them - LeT and JeM have long operated in militarily and demolishing their Kashmir and India. Recently JeM and infrastructure. Lately, this policy has other Deobandi groups have fought changed after the Army Public School against the Pakistan military. (APS) tragedy.31
30 Ibid (1) 31 31On 16.12.15 terrorists executed 143 young students and some students in the Army Public School Peshawar. Responsibility for this act was claimed by the TTP. Investigations showed that some of the planners were in Afghanistan. Coordination between the Pakistan army and Afghan authorities led to the arrests of the main accused in this offence.
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. The policy of appeasement followed services. Some Iranian revolutionary Guard until June 2014, was based on a operations and Indian Raw operations have perception that the real aim of the U.S also been reported in the Pakistan Baluch operations in Afghanistan was to de- region. nuclearize Pakistan. From Nov 2007 to Nov 2013, Pakistan’s approach was Three other contributory factors may be added marked by ambiguity and vacillation in to the list of drivers of extremism in Pakistan. its handling of radicals/terrorists in Fata As stated earlier Pakistan developed an and other parts of Pakistan32. After the exclusive statehood narrative based on its launching of the National Action Plan in Muslim identity. In foreign policy it led Jan 2014 there is more apparent Pakistan to support all kind of Islamic agendas coordination yet more needs to be done. including becoming a strong supporter of Saudi Arabia in the multi-faceted conflicts of The Afghans are pressurizing Pakistan to break the Middle East. The rightist political parties of its links with the Haqqani Network and the Pakistan who have members in Parliament Quetta Shura and to end the safe-havens in thus in a sense, became the proxies of the Fata and Baluchistan before bilateral relations can normalize. larger conflicts prevailing in the Islamic world.
Riaz Mohammad Khan, a former foreign 10. The Radical Sectarian Nexus secretary of Pakistan in his analysis of the linkages between the Jihadi Tanzeemats found Since the Jihadi networks are rooted in religion that, "They had Deobandi and Saudi Salafi it is no surprise that many of the sectarian inspiration, which permeated the Madrassas radical groups are their off-shoots. In this mushrooming in Pakistan during the 1980's respect the following comments will help and 1990's, with large donations raised locally explain the situation. and from the Gulf, especially from Saudi Arabia," (Riaz Muhammad Khan; P.218). He The Jihadi elements in Pakistan described also found that the Tanzeemat had close earlier had very close sectarian linkage with linkages with Al-Qaeda. Pakistan's anti-Shia organizations that were involved in a cross-border war on behalf of The Islamic identity was integrated into the Saudi Arabia against the Shias in Pakistan. defense strategy of Pakistan, after both India They are also reported to have carried out and Pakistan became nuclear powers in the operations inside Iranian Siestan via the mid-1990s. One of the harrowing Balochistan border with Iran. consideration discussed by military planners was the issue to find an answer to the This radical infrastructure created a mirror question as to what would happen the 'day image either through buy out of Pakistani after,' a nuclear exchange between India and agents or creating other support infrastructure Pakistan? In this bizarre scenario it was by Indian, Afghan and Iranian intelligence iterated that the Jihadis will protect the
32 32 DeYoung, Karen, "New estimates put Pakistan's nuclear arsenal at more than 100",Washington Post, 31 January 2011.
25 territory. into a growing modern economy, integrated fully into the global network of trade and Christine Fair, points out in her book, commerce, will remain an aspiration at best "Fighting to the End: The Pakistan Army's Way making state failure a more likely result. of War," (PP 226-260), that Pakistani military strategists assumed that a nuclear confrontation between India and Pakistan will 11. Role of FATA in spell an end to formal military operations, as Radicalization both the militaries will be severally crippled after the first nuclear exchanges. If this was The discussion so far has already identified the something that was likely to occur then what central role that FATA plays in the growth of was the anti-dote to such a contingency? The radicalism in KP and other regions of Pakistan. expectation was that the Jihadi Tanzeemat will However, while discussing this situation one carry on the struggle against Indian forces cannot assume that changing the (what remained of them) - this has been administrative and legal status of FATA will provided at times as the justification for the end radicalism. It will not, but progress link between the Jihadists and the Pakistani towards allowing tribesmen to exercise state. Such thinking is not only absurd but fundamental rights and have representative raises the further question whether a state government at the mid and ground level is a could even exist after a nuclear break out? pre-condition for increasing social cohesion Perhaps only the innocent can contemplate and strengthening local society. But as such a scenario. highlighted earlier in section 7 on, ‘Emergence of the new economy and convergence of Police investigations have discovered the extremists with criminal syndicates,’ these presence of criminal syndicates amongst the efforts will fail if simultaneous action against radicals that has created an explosive the criminal elements is not taken. Thus these combination of factors that will test Pakistan's efforts to clear extremism and criminality need capacity to counter these new threats facing to be taken together or they will be fail. her and the region. It is only a matter of time before creeping radicalization reduces the Pakistan’s civil-military governing elite must military's capabilities to neutralize the threats, recognize that the current inter-connected through operations like Zarb-e-Azb that is now world is about economic growth and human underway in North Waziristan. Thus the rights; Pakistan is doing a dis-service to its window of opportunity available to Pakistan is potential by allowing radicals to cause extremely narrow for putting its own house in insecurity internally as well as externally. It order. appears that a change for the better has been initiated after the new army chief took over. If It is clear that the Jihadists in Pakistan have the current direction of policy is maintained become autonomous and unless the writ of there is likelihood of Pakistan emerging as a the Pakistani state is fully restored by the promising country in the future. Some of the closure of all links with radicals and their other matters that need to be addressed in eradication, the Pakistani state transformation FATA are;
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Strengthening legitimate civilian Madrassas ought to be converted into governance primary schools. The religious teachers Withdrawal of the military and the early should be capacitated to become return of IDPs to their homes so that teachers in government run primary communal and tribal cohesion can be re- schools. Thus Madrassas will be merged established, as a front against the into the public education system radicals; it may be noted that the greater o More jobs should be created for the degree of violence in Fata, the more tribesmen in the security and other strengthened the radical elements will fields. become. FATA administration must remain alert 12. FATA Reforms and robust to deny the location of Jihadis inside Fata and the entry of the Punjabi According the Art 247 of the Pakistan Taliban and foreign nationals. Constitution, Fata constitutes a special tribal There are two decisions that Pakistan area in Pakistan where the normal laws of the government must make; land and the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court do not operate but is an administrative system It must not assist any radical or Jihadi of hybrid sovereignty functioning under the element for action in Kashmir or inside joint jurisdiction of the communities and the Afghanistan – Pakistani territory must state, through tribal councils (Jirgas). Fata not be allowed to be used as a adjoins Afghanistan and there are ethnic links sanctuary and there must be very strict between the various tribes that inhabit this enforcement of the law. Under no circumstances should Jihadis border that stretches for some 450 kilometers. be accommodated in Fata. Fata has a total area of 27, 200 square kilometers that is loosely administered. After There is a need to address other drivers of the management of the tribal area was taken radicalism like; over by the British in 1849, they came into o Law enforcement must be strengthened contact with the tribesmen. They built up a – presently it has become very weak system of administering them indirectly under throughout the country but more the loose supervision of a political agent specifically in Fata. responsible to the Governor NWFP. o All those who have violated the country’s laws must be brought under After appreciating the difficulty involved in the law and there should be no administering a well-armed people living in exceptions mountainous fastness, without roads as well Increasing growth and development in as situated on the Afghan border, the British Fata must be undertaken to end decided early on to administer the districts up marginalization of the people to the foothills through a system of indirect o Fata should have empowered local administration by a combination of money and government so that the tribesman is use of force. The British also created a legal master of his own destiny. o Flow of private donations to Madrassas fiction indicating that while the tribal areas must not be allowed and the existing were part of India, they were not a part of
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British India. By creating this distinction the thus became a threat to international security. British announced that the tribal areas would be administered in a different manner than In a nut-shell Pakistan stopped enforcing the other parts of India that were being gradually law and understandings with the tribes after introduced to responsible democratic 9/11. The introduction of the military into Fata government. This meant that the political by General Musharraf in 2003 was a mistake growth of tribal areas was denied. as it disturbed the system of administration completely. It was this measure more than any After Pakistan got independence in 1947, Mr. other act that increased extremism in Fata; it Jinnah promised to the tribesmen that their ratcheted considerably after the Al Qaeda region will be administered as a special area sought sanctuary in Fata by 2004. under the traditional system of administration and no changes will be introduced into tribal Previously in the1980s massive Saudi funding areas (Fata latter), without their consultation. was provided for the creation of new He also withdrew the military units from tribal Madrassas in Fata; Gen Zia the President of areas deployed prior to 1948. Pakistan was Islamizing Pakistan rapidly, welcomed this inflow and also encouraged the As indicated earlier in this study, the creation Deobandi JUI, its leaders in Fata to radicalize of this separately administered territory, the population, these measures led to the outside the normal purview of the Pakistan transformation of tribesmen, who dwelt under Constitution, led to its use as a sanctuary for their customary laws, and were transformed the proxy warriors, who were deployed during into radical fighters of Islam. It was not long the 1st Kashmir War between India and before the radicals began to challenge the Pakistan in 1947- 48. Latter, these tribes were deployment of the Pakistan military in Fata in radicalized by the Jihad against the Soviet 2003. By 2004 serious battles were waged Union in Afghanistan. Many of them fought between the military and the tribesmen, who against the Afghan communist regime and had formed links with Al-Qaeda and the subsequently joined the Taliban, when they Afghan Taliban as well as Pakistani Jihadi removed the government of President Tanzeemat. Najibullah in 1996. In 2003, President Musharraf, began to Soon after the Taliban won power in normalize relations with India that Afghanistan and formed their government, necessitated the ending of the use of Jihadi they were defined as, "Our boys," by Gen Tanzeemats in Kashmir as explained earlier in Nasirullah Babar, who was an important leader this paper. The camps of these armed bodies of the Pakistan People’s Party and a close were shifted into Fata and parts of KP. In confidant of Prime Minister Ms. Benazir the2002 general elections, an election alliance Bhutto. After the 9/11 invasion of Afghanistan of five religious parties the MMA, (Muttahida the Afghan Taliban and other Central Asian Majlis-e-Amal) was formed. It was encouraged fighters were allowed to settle in Fata, it also by Gen Musharraf to form the government in led to a change of its configuration into a KP and also became his partners in the federal permanent engine of radicalism and crime and government. The election of MMA candidate
28 became possible when by a special enactment was ceded area to form an Emirate in Bajaur Gen. Musharraf amended the election rules and North Waziristan agency.33 and equated a Madrassa degree with that of a formal graduation degree. It prevented the Political pressure by the US on Pakistan to take disqualification of many of the extremists who robust preventive action in conjunction with were thus able to enter Parliament. drone operations and Special Forces raids in Fata, prevented such a take-over of parts of At the same time Gen Musharraf weakened Pakistani territory by the radicals in 2007 - but the management and control of law and order it was a narrow escape. The average Pakistani in the districts, when under the so-called local feared a repeat of this pattern in the future government reforms, the post of the District and one way was to bring Fata into the Magistrate was transformed to a District national space so that the people of Pakistan Coordinating Officer, under elected officials. could also learn what was happening in Fata? With these two master-strokes Gen. Most Pakistanis, are unaware of Fata and its Musharraf reduced the writ of the state and peculiarities, the issue of Fata transformation is allowed entry to radicals into KP and Pakistan. complex; It led to the following results; The MMA encouraged its workers to o If only special areas like Fata were the challenge the state in Swat, that by 2005- cause of radicalism, then there should 6 came under the control of Jihadists led have been no radicals in the KP districts or by Maulana Sufi Mohammad of Dir and his in spaces like Karachi; on the contrary son-in-law Mullah Fazlullah evidence suggests that more stability can In this inter-regnum, many of the KP be achieved by enforcing the law rather districts lying on the border with Fata, than undertaking more complicated came under the influence of the Jihadist reforms. radicals and they armed themselves and also received state largesse from the MMA o The quick turn-around in the security government and expanded. situation when the new army chief took showed that with resolve and a clarity of The duality in state policy of first allowing vision, matters can improve in Fata even space to radicals and latter deploying the without any reforms. It appears that it will army to reduce their strength, was seen as a be futile to blame Fata alone for ploy by the tribesmen, who stopped enforcement failure; clearly the answer lies cooperating with the state and there in application of counter-terrorism and rule followed many rebellions in Fata and KP of law across the board for maximum districts. The number of terrorist strikes results. That this was compromised is an against the state increased manifold; it aspect of lack of accountability in political looked as if the state had decided to matters and enforcement that is a pivotal relinquish control of the country to the issue in weak states. Jihadists. It was also rumoured that Al-Qaeda
33 Eric Sayers, “The Islamic Emirate of Waziristan and the Bajaur Region: The Strategic Threat of Terrorist Sanctuaries,” Center for Security Policy, Feb 16, 2007, http://bit.ly/1PqyHFP
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The counter-narrative that is employed by Union, Pakistan did not deploy its military in many, argues that if Fata is absorbed or main- Fata, despite the grave nature of the threat, streamed into the Pakistani system the ills and was able to conserve peace in Fata; highlighted will disappear. It is argued by the why was this principle not followed after supporters of this view that the poor the 9/11 events? development indicators of Fata are the real cause of radicalism and its subsequent spread From the foregoing analysis clearly the route to other parts of the country34. for defeating extremism is to enforce the law through Fata’s traditional mechanisms, rather Findings from the ‘Stability Index,’ project35 has than the deployment of the military – the indicated that creating greater social cohesion latter disrupts traditional mechanism of in Fata based on traditional pattern of governance and only helps the radicals and governance, will provide greater peace thus the presence of a military force is likely to dividend than other any other factor. assist in aggravation of the violence rather than helping in its amelioration.37 Social Cohesion in tribal area is defined by the frequency of the tribes working together to resolve problems. If the tribes 13. Regional Highlights of the meet often to resolve their common issues Impact of War Against then it can be said that they have a high degree of social cohesion. Terrorism
The second attribute of social cohesion is While a part of the violence in Balochistan can the frequency of meetings by the be traced to the Baluch insurgency yet in parts traditional elders to resolve problems of that province reportedly there is a contest affecting their tribes. If the element of going on between Iranian and Pakistani drug collective decision making through Jirga is cartels. In some cases a Jihadist organization high, then that region can be said to have the Jundullah linked with the LeT is being a higher degree of social cohesion.36 encouraged by the administration to carry on its fight. There is another criminal organization If we accept the wisdom from the above also known as Jundulla that is linked with the indicators then the solution in Fata will be Taliban and it takes part in crime in to invest in strengthening the traditional Baluchistan and in Karachi. mechanisms of governance. This The Iranian Hezbollah is also reportedly active conclusion is supported by the lessons of in Baluchistan recruiting Baluch to fight the Jihad in Afghanistan against the Soviet against the ISIS. Reportedly the Iranians are
34 Khalid Aziz, “Conditions for a Successful Transition in Afghanistan Post 2014,” PP 39-46, www.ciaonet.org/attachments/24540/uploads 35 A project implemented by MSI under US AID in Fata and Malakand Division of KP. 36 Khalid Aziz, Paper on, “10 Years Governance Program for Fata 2015-2025,” prepared for the Institutional Support Unit, of Post Conflict Need Assessment for Fata, Peshawar, April 2015. 37 Ibid (5) P. 38
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recruiting Pakistani Baluch too. which reject their position, have been 38 The Baluch border with Iran is full of illegal abrogated.” weapons and it will be impossible for it to stabilize. Lately, official Pakistani security Pakistan’s Parliament and its elite have decided forces allege that India is conducting to call an end to the devastation caused to the operations in the province. country by radicals and terrorists. There are It is also suggested that since there is also promising signs of collaboration between disconnect between government and civil Afghanistan and Pakistan in the security field. society in Baluchistan, it is alleged that the However, more stringent action needs to be state links up with extremist organizations taken in disassociating ourselves from the or mercenary organizations to do its Haqqani network and the Quetta Shura. They bidding instead of mobilizing the citizens. are nothing but a veritable collection of troublemakers and are also closely integrated The continuous sectarian violence against with criminal and drug syndicates. the Shias in Gilgit-Baltistan has led to the
vacation of Shias from many villages on Pakistan and India must not allow the the Karakorum highway and their festering of the Kashmir issue and the previous occupation by Sunni fighters. aspirations of allowing both the Kashmir parts The National Action Plan is over reliant on to live in peace based on free movement enforcement but is weak on across their borders and enlarging the avenues transformation of the radical mindset. This of trade and commerce for the people will be deficiency needs to be removed as without perhaps the best outcome. At some stage we the transformation it will not be possible need to engage India actively to undertake to bring the desired long term change. policies that would ease the lives of their/our people in the region. One of the first steps will 14. Recommendations for De- be to re-examine our respective narratives of Radicalization statehood and our contentious histories. We must out-grow our delinquent short sighted
policies. Now that the new Silk route is being I would agree with the observation that, initiated by China, Pakistan and the regional “the radicalizing ideology is a modern countries could all benefit from it and make it innovation; it has been engineered by the truly a South Asian century of the 21st politically motivated Muslim clergy as a century. reaction to colonization of the Muslim
world after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire and the termination of the 15. Actions Proposed for the Caliphate. This ideology is not part of the State Islamic faith; it is evident from the clerics’ testimony [before the Munir It would be true to state that many of the Commission], that verses of the Quran, government policies against radicalism and extremism announced so far show a lack of
38 Ibid (3), Pages 23-24.
31 rigor and budgetary support that is so breach of law. Peace deals between the essential for implementation. state and radicals (masquerading as tribes) must be shunned. The government must - For instance when the government work through traditional methods to announced its first “National Internal resolve conflict and must never be Security Policy,” in Feb 2014, it was portrayed as a party. Reliance on Lashkars is hobbled by the absence of a program and bad policy; instead use the tribes. consequential budgeting. o Comparatively more commitment is seen o The tribes may be consulted before any in funding and implementing the new arrangements regarding their future is “National Action Plan”, after the made. December 2014, attack on the Army Public School where more than 140 o In this connection, preventing the presence students and some teachers were of non-Pakistani tribesmen in Fata will be murdered by extremists belonging to the paramount responsibility of the tribes Mullah Fazalullah’s faction of the TTP. o The CT strategy contained in the National An examination of Pakistan’s policy approach Action Plan announced by the government shows that more emphasis is given to counter- must be implemented faithfully and should terrorism and very little to counter be constantly reviewed to make radicalization. The reason may be that while enforcement better. counter –terrorism can be implemented through better policing and enforcement, but o There should be a mandatory 6 monthly counter radicalization is more difficult as it reporting of the state of enforcement of the requires a whole of society approach, leading law and agreements submitted by the to societal reform including revision of its core Governor KP for Fata law enforcement to tenets of national identity including it’s Ministry of Interior and State and Frontier exclusive revelatory features that would Region. involve amongst other factors, curricula and Madrassa reform. These are difficult items to o Pakistan needs to re-examine the old implement and have thus been ignored so far. paradigm of attaching its national interest in the security field with Jihadists and However, unless this approach is adopted it is proxies. It will be far better to be up front difficult to foresee any major transformational of its positions viz India and Afghanistan. In change taking place to challenge radicalism and this context special attention must be paid extremism. to Fata and it should not be peripheral in national discussions. Pakistan must The following are some of the other steps that enunciate zero-tolerance for private armies the state must take to push back radicalization and existence of sanctuaries on its that has damaged Pakistani society; territories.
o Enforcement of law must be made the o The close links between extremists and core policy with zero tolerance for organized crime needs to investigated and
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broken. The earnings of crime must be o Steps must be taken aggressively to confiscated. An attempt must be made at make Pakistan into a liberal democracy track II level to develop new national and to prevent its conversion into a narratives that are fraternal and not based theocratic state under its ambitious on exclusivity but on a South Asian identity that accommodates diversity. 16. Actions Proposed for Civil o The Jihadist arms of religious and secular Society parties must be out-lawed as demanded by the Constitution. Simultaneously, the The following recommendations are enforcement agencies must be proposed in this behalf; strengthened and constantly reviewed and improved – the police must be o A strong watch and lobbying role should be strengthened to execute its functions undertaken by the civil society under the rule of law and especially to organizations to monitor the progress protect the poor and the marginalized achieved against extremism as laid down in who are constantly the target of vested the NAP and the CT plan of the interests. government.
o Strong advocacy be undertaken for o As indicated in NAP zero tolerance must promoting peace, tolerance, harmony and be shown to hate speech and extremist dispensation of fundamental rights to all material included in text books for school those who live in Pakistan. should be removed.
o Media must play an effective role in o Ethnic minorities must receive state advocating inter faith harmony protection; those who have been
dispossessed in Gilgit-Baltistan must be o Media and educational institutions must restored to their villages and recurrence of encourage the spread of knowledge of the sectarian attacks against the Shias must be cultural heritage of various ethnic groups in prevented by pro-active policing. Pakistan. Frequent cultural exhibitions o Code of conduct must prohibit should be encouraged glorification of extremist thought in media. o The growth of civil society organizations o Attempts must be made in Balochistan to must be encouraged by the government so achieve reconciliation with the Baloch. that they are enabled to undertake services to reduce extremism and radicalism. o Indian and Iranian interventions in Balochistan must be noted and addressed o Civil Society must be consulted by the bilaterally. government generally regarding reform and transformation of society. o The justice system must be strengthened to remove delays in the delivery of justice as a public good.
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17. Conclusion
The discussion above clearly shows that the future of Pakistan and the region depends in confronting in the monsters of religious extremism and radicalism identified in this paper. However, it may also be noted that similar de-radicalization approaches need to affected in India and Afghanistan – it does not make sense for Pakistan to engage in de- radicalization alone; a regional approach will be needed especially now when there is the threat of revival of Hindu radicalism in India.39
It will also be important to establish certain indicators to measure progress against extremism and radicalism by civil society organizations so that progress can be measured and further improvements brought into the effect to meet the challenges resulting from extremism and radicalism. It is an uphill task that needs many years of hard work and sound governance. The government and its institutions must avoid appeasement of extremist recalcitrants who should receive the full treatment under the justice system.
39 South Asian Voices, Rajeshwari Khrishnamurthy, “Aggressive Hindu Radicalism: India’s Achilles Heel,” Dec 16th 2014, http://bit.ly/1zuzcsI
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End Notes
[1] ADB et al, Post Crisis Need Assessment, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa and FATA, Sept 2010
[2] Mujahid Hussain, "Punjabi Taliban,"(Pp 89-93), published by Pentagon Security, New Delhi, 2012,
[3] Khalid Aziz, "The Main Causes of the Breakdown of Governance and Rise of Militancy in Swat," Regional Institute of Policy Research & Training, Peshawar, (http://bit.ly/1hjE387).
[4] Khalid Aziz, "Conditions for a Successful Transition in Afghanistan Post-2014," Danish Institute of International Studies, Copenhagen, April 2014
[5] Riaz Mohammad Khan, "Afghanistan and Pakistan - Conflict, Extremism, and Resistance to Modernity," Oxford University Press, Karachi, 2011
[6] T.V Paul, "The Warrior State - Pakistan in the Contemporary World," Oxford University Press, USA, 2014
[7] Christine Fair, "Fighting to the End-The Pakistan Army's Way of War," Oxford, Pakistan, 2014
[8] Nisid Hajari, “Midnight’s Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India’s Partition,” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, 2015
[9] K.K Aziz, “The Making of Pakistan – A study in Nationalism,” Sang-e-Meel Publications, Lahore, 4th Edition, 2009
[10] Robert Saviano, “Gomorrah,” Picador, New York, Dec 2008.
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About the Author Imprint:
Khalid Aziz is a former Chief Secretary of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in Pakistan Pakistan. He has served extensively in No. 10-A, Street No. 31, F-8/1, Islamabad, Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) Pakistan. and now heads Regional Institute of Policy Research and Training (RIPORT) a research Responsible: and project implementation organization in Philipp Kauppert Abdullah Dayo Peshawar, KP. He is also the Convener of Resident Director Programme Officer the Pakistan Policy Group in the FES regional Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Pakistan project proposing civil society led policy for ‘Afghanistan Post 2014.’ Phone: +92 51 2850912-6 Fax: +92 51 2850917 Email: [email protected] Website: www.fes-pakistan.org Facebook: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Pakistan Twitter: @FES_PAK
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The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.
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