EDITORIAL: It’s a good sign that the federal and KP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) governments found the good sense to hold the notification banning PTM (Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement) “in abeyance” just in time for the party to hold its Jamrud jirga.
In the days since the ban the government had come under attack from all sides of the political and social divides, and rightly so, for failing to differentiate between militant, secessionist groups out to hurt the state and peaceful parties exercising and demanding their legitimate, constitutional rights.
It is extremely important to make this distinction now, when the state is again under attack by an armed insurgency, just like all those years ago when the fight against terrorism cost the country at least 80,000 innocent souls; not to mention billions of dollars that should have been put to use on the economy and the people. It’s important to remember that PTM, just like similar outfits in Balochistan, emerged from the fringes of the federation in very turbulent times, when corrective action against militants affected local populations in the former tribal area as well.
It was and is, therefore, the state’s duty to lend them an air, not just because it is their right and the government’s responsibility but also because the military will always need these people and their cooperation whenever the border area lights up; as it has once again since the Taliban returned to Kabul and TTP was allowed to go active.
Now, just because of an unfair and reactionary policy that clubs all protesting elements together as anti-state, the government’s attention is divided between crushing a genuine insurgency and sorting out people with genuine grievances.
Such reactionary policy is not only contrary to the constitution, but also very unwise for a government facing constant problems at the border.
Instead of forcefully silencing discontent, it is in the state’s own interest, not just its duty, to separate the belligerent from the wronged, lest the latter let their frustration get the better of them and join the ranks of the former; as has been known to happen in these very parts not too long ago.
Yet it’s never a one-sided deal. Protesters, too, must remain within their limits.
Airing grievances is one thing, but denouncing the state is quite another, especially given the tendency of mixing anti-state slogans with raising flags of other countries to make a very potent point. Such antics clearly cross the line and cannot, must not be allowed.
So we have a situation where all sides need to take a step back and reassess the situation. That’s why the KP government’s multiparty grand jirga was so timely. It showed that regardless of the complexity of any situation, it is the authorities that must take the lead in engineering a thaw.
Indeed, one was achieved only after mutual compromise, with the government agreeing, in principle, to lift the ban and PTM promising not to allow needless inflammatory rhetoric to discolour the message coming out of its own jirga.
Hopefully, we’re finally on the road to righting some of the wrongs that most people tend to dismiss as collateral damage from the fog of a violent insurgency.
The country has enough urgent problems to deal with as it is. The economy is very fragile, despite recent gains. And worsening security with near daily terrorist attacks on security forces threatens to wipe out these gains; like it has done on many occasions in the past.
Cliched as it sounds, these times require the state to go the extra mile to ensure national unity. It must look to heal wounds whenever and wherever possible. And engaging positively with PTM gives it just that kind of opportunity.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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