A NEW strategy for dealing with the terrorists has been presented by the government which is being debated not just in parliament, but at various other forums as well. At least 10 or more such military operations were launched in the past with different names and debatable results. Impressive titles hardly matter in such cases. What actually matters is the will of the government and the inclusion of the people in the war against terrorism.

Mao Zedong once said about insurgency that the guerrilla must move amongst the people as a fish swims in the sea. Globally, counterinsurgency strategies have often attempted to ‘drain the sea’, separating the guerrilla from his support base within the local population.

The crux of any counterterrorism policy should be to take the population into confidence, and dry the support base of the terrorists. This involves changing people’s mindset, which can only be done by involving intellectuals, clerics, labour leaders and opinions makers.

Military operations in Pakistan are often discussed in closed rooms without taking the public on board. The liberal and progressive elements who are natural antagonists of extremism have been muted in society, and are actively discouraged from propagating their views. It is only obvious that the field has been left wide open for the extremists. A deeper thought process is required to make the counterterrorism strategy. Merely fighting the terrorists with guns and armour can never be the solution.

Khayyam Durrani
Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2024