The Punjabi Taliban

In the last couple of days, terrorists have struck with unprecedented ferocity. Clearly, the curse of terrorism is now stalking Punjab, proving right the earlier fears that with the base of terrorism in South Waziristan destroyed, the terrorists would fan out raising their antes in rest of the country, particularly in southern Punjab - the area that had been a traditional heartland of religious extremism and a breeding ground of the so-called Islamic warriors.
Hundreds of 'madressahs', run by sectarian outfits and quite a few of them patronised by their foreign sponsors, produce willing foot-soldiers for the myriad militant organisations that have flourished in Pakistan over time. They are said to be the toughest nuts to crack and care little for creature comforts, as they offer themselves for what their handlers prescribe the higher mission of life.
No wonder, what we are now confronted with in southern Punjab, and possibly in upper Sindh, is a far more daunting challenge - for, the terrorists, now on the rampage, are volunteers and not mercenaries. Of course, the Punjabi Taliban, as these holy warriors are known, share a kind of camaraderie with the Taliban based in the tribal areas, straddling the Pak-Afghan border, but they are quintessentially remnants of a proxy war fought in Pakistan by the principal exponents of Wahabism and Shiaism.
They have fought all over the place, killing the opponents' leaders and desecrating their mosques. And as some of them enjoyed the patronage of intelligence agencies for their activities beyond the national borders, their penetration into the government's operational plans against terrorism and extremism cannot be ruled out, which makes action against the Punjabi Taliban all the more difficult.
Mercifully, the Punjabi Taliban's potential to make inroads into megalopolis Karachi is said to be limited, given that the Pushtun that constitute the second-largest community have deep economic interests in a stable city. But their capacity creating mischief in the nation's economic hub cannot be ruled out, a possibility that the authorities must keep under watch.
True, only a handful of 'madressahs' are believed to be involved in breeding terrorism. Also true, given the successive governments' lackluster educational planning and policies, the need for religious seminaries for the children of the poor remains alive. But what really disturbs one is the absence of a thoroughly deliberated policy to revamp this sector of education.
Time is running out. The Punjabi Taliban have moved to the forefront in the battle for Talibanising Pakistan, but we see little in terms of a government plan of action to confront the emerging challenge. The government needs to bring under intense intelligence coverage those 'madressahs' which have links, direct and indirect, with the Jihadi outfits.
Also, the government should require all foreign sponsors and patrons of the religious seminaries to channel their assistance through official agencies. Unlike the tribal areas-based militants, the Punjabi Taliban operate in urban centres and thus have more space to manoeuvre, a challenge that can be effectively met only by strengthening civic vigilance. Instant response, both at the levels of the government and the public, is in order to confront the terrorists; otherwise with public morale at tipping point, tomorrow might be too late.