'Militancy cannot be tackled through guns only'

Participants of a daylong conference suggested that the issue of militancy could not be tackled through guns only so the state would have to make concrete efforts to bring peace in the areas where war is being fought. The consultation titled 'The Way Forward: Rehabilitation of the Taliban" held at a local hotel under the auspices of the Individual and Pakistan.
Director Center for Research and Security Studies, Imtiaz Gul, noted physician and religious scholar, Dr Mohammad Farooq Khan, Director Individual and Pakistan, Gulmina Bilal Ahmad, President Peshawar Press Club, Shamim Shahid and senior journalist Ikram Hoti also participated in the conference.
In her opening remarks, Gulmina Bilal said Pakistan is facing a number of problems due to war on terror. "On one side when Pakistan Army is conducting an operation against the insurgents, it is imperative for the civil society to come forward and contribute to a prosperous future of the country," she said.
Many questions were raised on the role of Army in creating and nurturing the militants. Some of them alleged that the security forces were not sincere to eliminate Taliban, whom it considers as its strategic assets to fight its proxy wars in Kashmir, Afghanistan, etc.
"Is it possible for creators (security agencies) to kill their own creation (militants)?" they posed a question. Nevertheless, some of the panelists including Imtiaz Gul and Dr Mohammad Farooq dispelled the impression against the Army, saying that Army does not act in isolation. "Armies are indispensable for the existence of countries, and we'll be serving no purpose by maligning our Army," they said.
Ikram Hoti observed that the issue of Taliban is more of a political issue. He shared a reservation that the rehabilitation programme can be applied only on the captured or the identified Taliban. He further said that before we decide to go for rehabilitation, we must stop the mass-production of Taliban at societal level. Dr Mohammad Farooq said that the version of Islam conveyed to potential young suicide bombers is entirely different from the true one.