Extremism and its resulting terrorism or extremist tendencies are a major challenge to our national security, internal autonomy, and national security. These days Pakistan facing a major challenge of extremism and finding a way to eradicate it.
Challenge of Extremism for Pakistan
This is not an ordinary challenge, we need extraordinary political, social, administrative, legal, and military measures to deal with such extraordinary situations. Our tragedy is connected with emotional strategy at the national level.
When any accident happens, we remember everything emotionally and we say we want to do a lot. Where are our seriousness and measures related to it?
Because there seems to be great political isolation prevailing in our actions or implementation system. In recent days, an important meeting of the National Security Committee was held.
The political and military leadership continued to ponder over recent terrorism or security-related issues. This twenty-point National Action Plan was released in 2014 with the mutual consent of the political and military leadership.
This National Action Plan was presented by our political and military leadership along with a “National Curriculum”. It was said that this agreement will play a key role in preventing extremism and terrorism.
The important thing was that the ownership of this twenty-point agreement was taken by the national and provincial leadership or governments at the military and political levels.
In this context, there was the participation of representatives of political, administrative, and intelligence agencies, including the leadership of the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, and DCO at the federal, provincial, and district levels.
The purpose of these Apex Committees was to make effective the implementation, monitoring, and accountability system of the 20-point National Action Plan to ensure the prevention of terrorism including extremism within their respective jurisdictions.
Along with the formulation of the National Action Plan, we have also formulated a pact based on the consensus of the scholars of all schools of thought, namely the Message of Pakistan.
Its aim was to curb sectarian or extremist tendencies in the country. Likewise, to ensure the inclusion of women, there was also a national-level project called “Dukhtaran Pakistan”.
Unfortunately, the lack of priorities of the political leadership, political confrontation, the tendency to clash and compete with each other, and the game of making and corrupting or removing governments have left us with important issues of sensitive nature including security, and extremism. Or pushed back by issues like terrorism.
The question is, what mistakes have we made in the cases of extremism and terrorism or negligence in security matters in this context, we are facing serious security problems again.
These problems are of an internal nature or are related to regional or global issues, but their lack of a solution is a big question mark. The purpose is not just criticism, but there is a need to analyze at our own level or at the institutional level of different parties. How we have been guilty of national negligence.
The presence of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, their assurance that their territory will not be used in anti-Pakistani activities, the lack of success in dealings with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and where we have made mistakes on other issues. There should be an analysis. Extremists or those with a terrorist agenda take advantage of our weaknesses.
When we are weak internally and do not do what we need to do to end terrorism, surely our enemies at home or abroad will take advantage of it. We generally try to protect ourselves by placing a great deal of blame on our enemies.
Criticize your enemy countries but first, examine your home system to find out what is wrong with us and who is responsible for it and there should be accountability.
This is not a problem of a party or any institution, but a national problem, due to its seriousness and sensitivity, everyone should share in the responsibility of this process.
Now it is high time that we ourselves more seriously organize our strategy on the basis of the National Action Plan, Message of Pakistan, Daughters of Pakistan, NECTA, or National Security Policy. But for this, it is necessary that we get out of the politics of compromises and political expediencies. In whatever steps we have to take, focus on practical steps instead of unnecessary ifs and buts.
Conclusion
The real issue is the writ of the state, whoever challenges it, there should be no compromise with it. The important thing is that this war is not anyone’s but our national war.
Whatever lapses or political compromises we have made in the past must be undone. The educated classes of this country, including the political leadership, the people, and the institutions that make public opinion must take responsibility for this war because this strategy can make the country safe.
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