Coping with terrorism

Dr. M. S. Haq
There are several causes of present day terrorism at local, global and other levels. The causes include inter alia and as appropriate: dissatisfactions, deprivations, inequities, inequalities, human rights violations, the right to life violations, paucities of the right and affordable justice for all at all time, commercialism, ideologies, revenges, political motivations, and DNA ramifications – whether or not the causes are perceived properly or acted upon them with the right frame of mind or otherwise, to mention a few, by all concerned at individual, collective and other levels – in pursuits of remedying situations created by causes mentioned above.Continuous failures to remedy the situations to the satisfaction of all concerned – whether possible or not (or otherwise) under limitations or other things (or both) of respective communities, societies, governments and others concerned – are, as proper, responsible for incremental rises in say intensity and magnitude of terrorism with a variety of ramifications, over a variety of time periods, in various parts of the world. Terrorism passes through different developmental phases during its life time depending on inter alia: effects of anti-dotes to terrorism – in the form of say development and deterrence – on relevant areas; timings and targeting when it comes to application of anti-dotes to terrorism, follow ups in relevant areas, tensile strengths of societies when it comes to for example anti-terror sustainability in societies concerned.
Terrorism has different meanings to different people – depending on inter alia – who is defining terrorism, from what position, at what context, to whom, how, and when? Terrorism takes one of its extreme heights when people involved in terrorism is able to rise above their own life against the backdrop of say causes of terrorism. In that event, a single terrorist is capable of causing huge losses and damage in terms of life, property and other things in one go, unless he or she is proactively resisted – from doing acts of terror – by authorities or others concerned such as Late Aitazaz Hasan, a 9th grade student of Hangu (Pakistan) who recently saved the life of hundreds of fellow students reportedly from a suicide bomber by sacrificing his own life. Well done – Hasan. May Almighty God bless you and all His creatures. Ameen.
The way forward in regard to a terror free Pakistan through foreseeable futures would require several things. A few of them (as of today, 23 January 2014) have been presented here – not in the order of priority and importance but they are relative to time, space and other variables.
01. People of Pakistan would be required to conduct massive search operations in for example and as appropriate government and non-government offices, market places, educational institutions, military establishments, political party offices, intelligence agencies, civil society, highways, gangways, street corners, remote areas, localities and communities, hotels and places for recreations, prayer houses, mills and factories, land + sea + air and other ports, police organizations including police stations, jails, borders and border areas and the media houses – with a view to for example identifying possible terror elements in above places, liberating those places from above elements as applicable, and ensuring the right and affordable justice for all at all time.
The standard operation procedure for massive search operations (MSO) should focus on inter alia – doable objectives for MSO; prioritization of places for MSO; durations of MSO; modus operandi for MSO; participants and partners in MSO; success criteria of MSO; budgets for MSO; resources mobilizations for MSO; successor arrangements; control mechanisms (including follow ups) of MSO; risks threats and vulnerabilities of MSO; fire fighting and other measures that might be required during implementation of MSO; immediate beneficiaries of MSO; MSO accountability; and post MSO road maps.
02. MSO should come into effect in the form of a MSO Act or a MSO ordinance. Village level MSO committees could consist of inter alia local youths and representatives of concerned government authorities, as well as the media. The village committees should transact between and among themselves and others concerned and do other businesses via a national network of MSO committees to be established for the purpose. The national network should be supported by 24 x 7 uninterrupted ICT facilities preferably, at highest operating levels security. Human and other methods of intelligence should support the work and function of each and every village committee, as required though, via for example the national network. PM Sharif could elect to head the national network with CMs of provinces as its members.
03. Dialogue, development, indictment and deterrence (DDID) in pursuits of a terror free Pakistan could go along side MSO, as required. A program approach at say conceptual and operation levels – integrating components of MSO and DDID into critical mass of above approach – could be instrumental in inter alia: harnessing maximum benefit from mutual reinforcements of components, perhaps in an affordable manner; and in promoting sustainability in relevant areas.
04. DDID under appropriate accountability regimes should be able to minimize drastically, if not eliminate, importations and exportations of terrorism by Pakistan and to Pakistan, respectively.
05. Anti-terror policy of Pakistan should define roles of friends of Pakistan including the US, neighbors of Pakistan including India and Afghanistan, and concerned others in the war on terror against the backdrop of say the country’s security, defense and economic goals, as well as objectives.
The last word: a terror free is in Pakistan’s own interest and in the interest of the US, India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and others concerned. Do not play dirty political games with terrorism. Do not invite terrorism by politicizing it. Internal instabilities, disloyalties and corruption are among major causes, effects and causalities of terrorism in Pakistan. Let us work towards a terror free world at the soonest. God bless. (The author is inter alia Proponent of Gene mechanics)