This is apropos Business Recorder op-ed "Anti-terrorist operations in Punjab" carried by the newspaper on Thursday. The writer has drawn a profound conclusion: "Meanwhile, one cannot but lament the fact that our political class' failure to effectively deal with the challenges at hand is tilting the balance of civil-military relations in the wrong direction."
But one must not lose sight of the fact that the challenge of terrorism is profound. Not only is it unprecedented given its ferocity and scale, it is also gaining strength through growing linkages among the practitioners of terrorism. Both civilian and military leadership are required to act simultaneously with greater co-ordination and cooperation in order to articulate a befitting response to this challenge. Neither can achieve any objectives in the absence of greater unity and cohesion. Hence the need for articulating an anti-terror strategy with caution and great care.