Rethinking Pakistan’s security approach

By Zahid Karim

It is true that terrorism remains one of the most serious national security challenges of Pakistan. It has blighted the plant of peace, progress and prosperity. Although, time and again efforts have been made to eradicate this cancerous evil, it has deeply embedded ideological, political, and socio-economic roots in the society. It has not only weakened the socio-economic fabric of the society but also tarnished the image of the country across the globe. 

At the moment, Pakistan is experiencing a resurgence of terrorism, particularly in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. There is no place or aspect of life where terrorism and extremis has not shown its ugly face. No one is safe either in office or home from militants, extremists and terrorist. It is evident from the recent deadly attack on rangers installation in Karachi. Before it, a suicide car bomb targeted a passenger train transporting military personnel and their families at Chaman Phatak station in Quetta, killing at least 24 people and injuring over 50 others. Besides, the suicide bomb attack at the Khadija Tul Kubra mosque in the Tarlai Kalan area of Islamabad killed at least 31 people and injured 169 others. In fact, the widespread, coordinated terrorist atrocities across the province of Baluchistan including Quetta, Gwadar, Mastung, and Nushki, resulting in significant casualties. Sadly, the car bombing at Mir Ali Area of North Waziristan which led to the loss of some 13 soldiers and 3 civilians added further fuel to the fire. Similarly, the bold daylight attack of Sorab, Baluchistan, Khuzdar school bus suicide and fatal hijacking of Jafar Express reveal the helplessness and haplessness of the security agencies of the country. Interestingly, many security operations have been carried out but their gains are not so encouraging. Indeed, the lasting peace requires more than military might. It needs social justice, education, economic development, and strong institutions. 

As a matter of fact, without paving the way for political stability, economic prosperity, social justice and religious harmony, sustainable peace remains only a daydream. It requires social healing, reconciliation, and national unity. It is not just military operations, airstrikes, and crackdowns that can resolve the daunting issue. Of course, the root causes are deeply entrenched in social, economic, ideological, and political structures, not merely in armed insurgency. These may include poverty and unemployment, illiteracy and radical education, social injustice and political exclusion and Religious intolerance and sectarianism. Thus, Pakistan needs social reforms—not just military solutions—to effectively eliminate terrorism. 

More importantly, military solutions are not alone sustainable and viable. Military action may abolish imminent threats, but it cannot address the root causes. Besides, force is necessary only to dismantle militant networks but long-term stability requires deep social reforms to address the root causes of radicalization. Military operations like Zarb-e-Azb, Rah-e-Rast etc have only degraded militant groups but failed to eradicate them completely. 

Education is the foremost remedy to discourage radicalization in the society. Promotion of education infuses tolerance, peace and critical thinking.  It has capacity to augment intellect, widens vision and produces a refined and cultured human being. It equips the poverty-ridden youth to become productive part of the society. In this connection, curricula should be modernized. Besides, madrassas education should be regulated to prevent the spread of extremist ideologies. It is through quality, inclusive, and modern education that radicalism can be discouraged.

Furthermore poverty alleviation and provision of economic opportunities is another panacea for extremism and terrorism. Ironically, insufficiency of economic opportunities creates frustration, deprivation, and anxiety among the youth. It makes them vulnerable to fall prey to the extremist and militants for financial incentives. Undoubtedly, investing in economic development, job creation, and vocational training provide them a peaceful path.

In addition to this, provision of social justice is another cure to win hearts and minds of the people. Rampant violation of human rights and extra-judicial killings imparts resentment and revenge. An inefficient and corrupt criminal justice system erodes public trust. It leads individuals to seek alternative forms of “justice” to address their unsettled grievances. Thus, sustainable peace can also be achieved through fair, accessible, and efficient justice system and police frameworks. 

Moreover, since her inception, Pakistan has been witnessing poor social cohesion and interfaith harmony among its population. It has led them towards violence and terrorist activities to get accepted their different vendettas.  Indeed, national integration and cohesion should also be fostered among the disgruntled sections of the society. Steps that foster dialogue, understanding, and respect among different communities, sects, and religious groups should be taken on war footing basis. In turn, it helps to dismantle the sectarian and ethnic divisions that extremist groups exploit. This builds a stronger national identity that transcends narrow affiliations.

Additionally, prolonged military operations also cause political instability and adverse repercussion, especially when tangible improvements in security mechanism are not attained. Since, inception Pakistan has been witnessing widespread political instability. In turn, this phenomenon foments terrorism by creating governance vacuums and weakening of law enforcement apparatus. It allows militant groups to exploit social, economic, and political grievances of the masses. Ironically, frequent regime changes and civil-military discord distract authorities from security. It provides safe havens for groups like the TTP and other so-called terrorist organization. This contaminated environment of political polarization allows extremist groups to fill the void by promoting sectarianism and radicalization, which further destabilizes the state.  Political stability is essential to knock down the terrorism in Pakistan. It provides the foundation for effective governance, the rule of law, economic development, and social cohesion. Political stability allows the state to address the fundamental causes of terrorism, including poverty, inequality, sectarianism and ideological basis of terrorism. 

It is also a matter a fact that when the state fails to provide justice, security, or basic services, people may turn to non-state actors. Lack of rule of law, poor governance, unbridled corruption, has added fuel to the fire. Strengthening of rule of law, police reforms, and transparent governance reduce extremism. It has capacity to manage the anger and disillusionment of people. 

The road is long, but a secure and prosperous Pakistan is possible with vision, unity, and firm action. Military operations should only be part of a broader holistic counter-terrorism strategy rooted in justice, equality, and opportunity. Military operations alone cannot eradicate terrorism because terrorism is not just a physical threat. However, it is a political, social, economic, and ideological phenomenon. Military operations can weaken terrorist networks, eliminate key leaders, and disrupt attacks. These are unable to address the root causes that allow extremism to grow, such as poverty, political instability, injustice, lack of education, and ideological radicalization. Conclusively, terrorism in Pakistan will only be “eradicated” when the state becomes a better provider of justice, education, employment and above all hope.