Urdu Poetry Forum

The FATA conundrum

Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Rustam Shah Mohmand

As the bloody conflict rages on in the tribal areas, there is a disturbing lack of attention on the part of the government and a lack of concern as far as the political forces and civil society is concerned. Amidst such deepening chaos, bordering on anarchy, there are people who are calling for stiffer response, as if the enormous collateral damage is not enough to satisfy their view of 'use of force'.

Any other civil society anywhere in the world would have been shaken by the events of three hundred thousand people getting uprooted in a matter of two weeks. Who are these militants and how do they pose a threat to the government or its security forces? What was the level of engagement with them in the past and what measures were taken to avoid the catastrophe that has now overtaken Bajaur?

It appears that there is no comprehension of the dynamic of the current insurgency in parts of FATA. And when there is no appreciation of the factual position, the government would inevitably make miscalculations based on faulty assumptions. And that will lead to violence spiralling out of control.

A campaign that aims at tracking down militants would end up creating more militants. It must be understood clearly that the tribesmen feel alienated because the government is, in their view, pursuing a policy that has been designed to benefit the coalition forces in Afghanistan. Moreover, the induction of the army in the tribal areas, reinforced the fears in the minds of the people that Pakistan is a US proxy and that the war in Afghanistan is being brought to Pakistan in fulfilment of an agenda. Coupled with this was the near demolition of administrative structures in the tribal areas.

Both the tribesmen and the political agent having been sidelined, and aspirations of people disregarded, the seeds of conflict were sown which would soon sprout to spread destruction. That is what has happened.

When the situation became out of control, people lost sight of the perspective, General Musharraf tried successfully to bring home the lesson to the people that there is a deep crisis that needs to be resolved by countering militancy and defeating terrorists. People's memory is short. No one was asking why this situation has arisen.

Some of our commentators are now claiming that this is our war and not America's war. As far as the insurgency in the area is concerned, this is our responsibility. The writ of the government has to be enforced and any hurdles cleared. But they forget how we were led into this situation Supporting war on terror was one thing. Blocking infiltration is understandable. Not allowing sanctuaries or hideouts is also understandable. But to put the entire resources of a country at the disposal of foreign powers, to create disharmony by dismantling the administrative structures in FATA, by deploying the military on checkpoints in the interior of the tribal area, by persistent and indiscriminate use of brute force, including indiscriminate bombing, by going back on agreements, by owning attacks, killing madressah children, launched by US, have all combined to create conditions for full blown insurgency.

But take a pause! Are we so incapable as not to be able to understand the forces at work in this tragic saga of brutal killings and destruction? Is pushtoon blood not worth a moment's consideration on how to end this deadly cycle of violence?

Let us be more humane. Let us give sound advice to the powers that be. Let us not be swayed by the ugly logic that adequate force is the only appropriate response. If that were so, Afghanistan, seven and a half years after relentless use of force lethal weapons, should have become a safe haven for its war weary population.

Are we going to be silent spectators to this gory drama of man killing man? Let the government come to grips with the realities on the ground, address the root cause, reappraise its policy of no hold barred support to the war on terror, restore institutions, strengthen the malaks and office of the political agent, isolate militants and usher a new era of peace and hope to the battered population of Swat, Bajaur, Mohmand and Waziristan.