It's time to act

The song has ended but the melody lingers on. There are no visible signs of trepidation on the faces in Islamabad and Rawalpindi over the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's reported decision not to extend the ceasefire. From day one it was not to be, given the patently unacceptable demand of the Taliban shura of 'peace zone with no presence of Pakistani troops'. That the Taliban commanders find it problematic to freely move around and meet to firm up a consensus position on talks with the government committee is too boisterous a call to be heeded by any sensible mind. Was there any secrecy about the venue of the last meeting they had with government interlocutors? The answer would be a big 'no'. They were in the sights of the security forces; had the forces decided to attack them it was no problem. They could meet for as long as they wanted, and that kind of facilitation is available even now. That the TTP should have a part of Pakistan to themselves to control and rule in the name of 'peace zone' is a deception and no one here is willing to buy it. Moreover, neither the Nawaz Sharif government nor the army high command is legally empowered to make such a concession. Of course, there appears to be a human angle to the TTP's other demand that the security forces should release its prisoners which it claims include non-combatants. Who these people are there is no elaboration. The forces have not point-blank denied custody of these people, nor does it look plausible that our forces would take women and children hostage. Of course, there must be quite a few murderers in the custody; that they should be also set free just because the TTP wouldn't talk without this being done - we don't think things have come to such a sorry pass. Talks are essentially the TTP's option, it is its components that have to put up an agreed stand on the need to extend (or not) the ceasefire. And that kind of consensus seems to be alluding with some like Mohmand-based Taliban commander Omar Khalid Khurasani refusing to extend ceasefire, TTP shura member Azam Tariq insisting Shahidullah Shahid has no mandate to comment on his issue and some others wanting talks even without ceasefire. As to what others who are not in the pail of the TTP - and they are many spread all over the country nursing murderous agendas - think of the ongoing peace process and ceasefire no one has any clear idea. So much for the 'last one chance' to vindicate the peace-through-talks option that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif tried. What next? Even if talks with the TTP - that is not prepared to own the Ahrarul Hind carnage in Islamabad or district courts attack nor is it prepared to condemn it - succeed ridding Pakistan of terrorism would remain a challenge. There are terrorists of all hues and stripes, each nurturing its own agenda. While some want a piece of land to establish their 'emirate', others want their grip on the thought process and form of governance in Pakistan. But where they concur and share commonality it is to grab power by the gun. That a handful of misguided zealots should dictate a country of 180 million people defended by the world's fifth largest army is not on. It is time the government must stand up to this challenge that tends to seriously undermine independence and sovereignty of Pakistan. Suppose for a second, a peace deal is clinched with tribal-based insurgents, how about insurgents in Balochistan who pose an even graver threat to territorial integrity of Pakistan. In there, are armed resistant forces, liberation armies and proxy fighters bank-rolled by outside powers. Allowed to continue with their anti-state agendas they are bound to cause incalculable harm to national unity and solidarity. It must end and end right now. Peace processes have failed to deliver in tribal areas and elsewhere in Pakistan even when unprecedented concessions were offered to the insurgents. If the government feels, for some reasons not yet in public domain, that peace parleys with the TTP cannot be jettisoned for the time being, let the stalemate persist. But the situation evolving on Pak-Iran border areas is simply untenable; it has dire consequences for relations with neighbouring Iran, that's apart from China, Pakistan's only friendly neighbour. It is time to act now.