A new form of terror in Pakistan as government minister shot

May 8, 2018 Opinion , OPINION/NEWS , Pakistan

Reuters photo

By

Waqar Haider

Another wave of terrorism has hit Pakistan. It’s not the first time we have seen attacks on politicians, civilians, laborers, and Shia Muslims of the Hazara community, Pakistan having witnessed several such incidents after 9/11. Being an ally of the U.S. in the ‘War on Terror’, Pakistan however remains unstable, insecure and in a situation of unrest. The recent attack on the Interior Minister of Pakistan, Ahsan Iqbal, was shocking but thankfully the shooter has been arrested.

This new wave of terrorism is different from other terrorist and extremist groups. The Interior Ministry has always remained under great pressure, one that continues to build from both terrorist and extremist groups. Many times we have witnessed a dialogue process by the establishment and Interior Ministry with terrorist organizations and their leaders. The ex-Interior Minister met with Molvi Sami-ul-haq and the establishment once had dialog with Molvi Khadim Hussain.

The killings in Hazara and of laborers in Kharan and Gawadar are very serious issues, but the government failed to take any serious action against those involved. During military operations thousands of civilians were killed in Wanna, Waziristan, and Kurram Agency. The victims’ families come under the Pashtun umbrella and are blaming the military. They have already undertaken a social media movement against the military and continue to work on an agenda against them.

Last year the Pakistani military presented a Taliban leader Ehsanullah Ehsan. He was a former spokesperson of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar (JuA) and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The Interior Ministry told the upper house of parliament that the former terrorist leader would be tried in a military court. Moreover more than a hundred terrorists have been awarded the death sentence by the COAS after a military court trial.

Despite all terrorists having been awarded the death sentence, no one has been hanged yet. This has encouraged terrorists to continue such activities, though history indicates that the situation would be far worse if the law enforcement institutions did not implement such penalties.