Resolve, not resolutions

The third all-parties conference convened by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took place in Islamabad on September 9. Leaders of all major political parties gathered along with the military leadership to chalk out a future course of action for dealing with the Taliban.
The resolution issued at the end of the conference called for an end to the spate of violence and instability through a process of dialogue with the Taliban. One can only hope that the glimmer of optimism given to the grief-stricken nation produces positive results in the days ahead.
There is no doubt that the decision to engage with the Taliban through negotiations is a major shift in policy but it certainly is a step in the right direction. The interior minister has rightly stated that the war is not ours but was imposed on us by a dictator in pursuance of his personal agenda. He didn’t just stop at that but went a step further by violating the ‘commitment’ of the father of the nation which he had given to the tribesmen not to send the army there against their wishes.
His (Musharraf's) short-sighted policies backfired and the nation paid – and is still paying – a heavy price. It is high time we corrected his policies and adopted the right course of action with a calculated approach through a process of dialogue.
Since the government has declared Musharraf’s policies as being wrong, one wonders why his cronies are still holding positions of influence at the centre and in the provinces. They will be hesitant to sincerely implement the decisions of this government. Therefore, they should not be trusted in this regard.
They ‘proved’ their worth in the nation’s 10 years of struggle when we lost more than 45,000 lives, a figure much bigger than the losses we suffered in the three wars with India. They were either right then while opposing dialogue or are right now while siding with those pleading for it. They cannot have been right then and are so even now.
An important and relevant point to bear in mind is the trust deficit between them and the Taliban. Why should the Taliban trust them now after their having used all the power at their disposal in the so-called war on terror? If use of force could be the right option for restoration of peace then why has Karachi been spared of that for so long?
We should have learnt lessons from the past and refrained from using force again and again against our own people in Fata. The indiscriminate use of brutal force for so long, which did not yield positive results, should have opened our eyes.
Advocates of the use of power are sitting in the cool comforts of their homes in different cities of the country. They have not seen the sufferings of their near and dear ones like the people in the tribal areas have; nor would one ever wish that were to ever happen to them. But it is a fact that they achieved nothing by advocating this policy except cause death and destruction of the people of that area. And they have still not grown tired of advocating the same policy.
For any dialogue to take place and be successful in Fata the parties concerned have to go by the established norms of the people in that area in order to restore confidence in each other’s intention for bringing peace and prosperity.
For that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif must take certain bold steps: (a) visit Fata, even if it is for just a few hours, to express his concern and sympathy with the common people and the troops deployed there who have suffered the most; (b) announce that he would disengage the armed forces from public dealing in Fata, by handing over that responsibility to the Frontier Scouts; and (c) ensure return of the regular troops to their forts/camps in that area, to be available for strike if required, ultimately moving them out of Fata upon return of peace and tranquillity.
There is every likelihood that elements within the government's fold holding important positions, but opposed to the declaration of the APC, may try to disrupt the process for personal gains. Our enemies waiting in the wings will also make every effort to sabotage it.
It is, therefore, very important for the government and the Taliban, after entering into negotiations, to be extra vigilant and not be led astray by the actions of such elements.
Now when the nation has pinned all hopes on the success of this process the government needs to carefully select members of its negotiating team which should include people from areas to which the Taliban belong. The team should also be assisted by dedicated Pakhtun civil and military officials since only Pashto is the language of that land and a person not knowing that language would be a liability instead of an asset.
They should have experience in dealing with people of that area. This team may work under the overall supervision of the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Being a tribesman himself the governor may prove his worth on the negotiating table for the people of Fata in his official capacity – which he has yet to do.
Removing the effects of ten years of strife is not an easy task and the prime minister will need a lot of energy, will power and steadfastness to succeed. To start with he will have to reinforce the belief of the locals of the area about the successful outcome of this process.
It would have made a great impact on the local people had Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif performed the opening ceremony of the Gomal Zam Dam in South Waziristan himself. This was done by his ministers for water and power and the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – without meeting the local people. That left a very poor impression on everybody there.
He should have visited Fata to restore confidence of the people there. Even now it is not too late and he should visit that area before embarking on his visit to New York to address the UN General Assembly. That will not only boost the morale of the people but will also strengthen his case at the international level against drone attacks that violate the sovereignty of the country on a regular basis.
The significance of the APC’s declaration lies in its timely and sincere execution. Such resolutions were adopted in the past as well but never implemented and died a natural death. This must not happen now otherwise the consequences would be too disastrous.
The writer is a former ambassador.Email: waziruk@hotmail.com