Sitting ducks

Capital suggestion
Message from terrorists: Our financial pipeline is intact. Our manpower networks are intact. Our explosive experts are hard at work. Our logistics management chain is intact. We can hit soft targets including schools and mosques. We can hit hard targets including Punjab police. Our geographical footprint extends all the way from Peshawar in the north to Shikarpur in the south. We can hit any target between Khyber Pass and Port Qasim – at will and a time of our choosing.
Message from the state: We have established military courts. The progress on all other elements of the National Action Plan is as follows: Choking terrorist funding sources. Nothing done. Stopping hate literature. Nothing done. Regulation and registration of seminaries. No progress. Ban on glorification of terrorist organisations. Nothing done. Administrative and development reforms in Fata. Nothing done. Shutting down terrorist communication networks. Nothing done. Action against elements spreading sectarianism. Nothing done. Reforms in criminal courts system. No progress.
During 2003-15, the number of terrorists/insurgents killed during various operations stands at 30,430. Imagine: after getting 30,430 killed they managed to give us the Army Public School in Peshwar, Shikarpur, imambargah in Peshawar, Police Lines Qila Gujjar Singh (Lahore) and Qasr-e-Sakeena (Rawalpindi). Now we have military courts and these military courts will hang a few hundred more. Then what? What next?
A purely military solution to terrorism is no solution. Yes, a military component is an integral part of any counterterrorism strategy but the military alone will get us nowhere. What is missing is a civil component. For beginners, we need to separate politics from police work. We need to separate politics from crime. We need to separate politics from religion. We need to separate politics from business. We need to extricate the civil bureaucracy from politics (looks like if we don’t do it ourselves the GHQ is going to do it for us). And we need to separate cricket from politics.
Karachi is taking centre stage and there is incremental shifting of power from Zardari in Sindh to the Victory Corps HQ in Karachi. In Multan, police postings have to be approved by the II Strike Corps HQ. Hopefully, Lahore will learn from Karachi and not burden the IV Corps with additional responsibilities.
Here’s the latest message from the PM: “We are satisfied with the Sindh government.” Latest from the COAS: “Army will go to any extent for Karachi peace.” Latest from V Corps Commander: “We are not satisfied with the Sindh government.” Latest from Khursheed Shah: “We warn Nawaz Sharif against rule by apex committees.” Latest from Sharjeel Memon: “the provincial apex committee has not been given powers to undertake transfers and postings in Sindh police.” Question 1: Are they on the same page? Question 2: Are they even reading out of the same book?
To be certain, fighting terrorism needs to be centralised, a federal issue (what if the four provinces go in four different directions?). In the meanwhile, Islamabad’s priorities are: Sukkur-Multan motorway: Rs259 billion; Rawalpindi-Islamabad metrobus: Rs44 billion; Operation Zarb-e-Azb: Rs15 billion; National Action Plan: Rs0.
Final message from terrorists: You are all sitting ducks. Final message from the state and society: All we will do is squawk like silly birds.
Making all of our noises/Though we may be sitting ducks/We’ve got all of our poisons/All of our poisons in a row/In a row.
The writer is a columnist based in Islamabad. Email: farrukh15@hotmail.com
Twitter: @saleemfarrukh