The Policy of Pakistan Regarding the Taliban and its Recent Strategies
Before the attack on a military school in Peshawar and the attack on Karachi Airport few months ago, political parties in Pakistan such as PTI, Muslim League (N), Jamaat Islami and other religious parties believed that the war against terrorism is not the war of Pakistan but Pakistan entered the war because of the U.S. pressure; they thought instead of fighting Taliban, they should be called for negotiations.
Most of the political experts were emphasizing on the peace negotiations with the Taliban before of the attack on Karachi Airport but after the Karachi attack political parties hesitantly supported the “Zarb-e-Azb” operations of Pakistani Army in Waziristan. After the Peshawar attack, the hatred towards Taliban increased in Pakistan to an extent that the country’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharib said that expansion of “Zarb-e-Azb” operations to the urban cities and rural villages of Pakistan is necessary.
Changes in the Policy of Pakistan Regarding the Pakistani Taliban:
In the 2013 elections when Nawaz Sharif won in Islamabad and Imran Khan’s party won in Khaibar Pakhtunkhwa, the process of peace negotiation with the Taliban got speed up; there was a delegation created for the peace process, in which the leader of “Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam” party Maulana Samiulhaq, the leader of Jamat Islami party Professor Ibrahim, and some other influential figures were included.
The delegation started negotiations with the government as the representatives of the Taliban and later on they negotiated with the Taliban, which was going on for months. However because of the attack on Karachi Airport, for which Pakistani Taliban took responsibility, the negotiations were stopped. In addition, on 15 June 2014, the Pakistani Army started operations against the Taliban in Waziristan, which is still going on and according to the spokesperson of Pakistani Army, there are 2100 Taliban killed in the operations so far.
In addition, some other political parties in the country were against the military operations as they believed that the issue should be solved through negotiations but after the Peshawar attack, not only there were visible changes in the policies of Pakistan Government but also the army, the political parties and the nation agreed for the military operations against the Taliban.
Earlier Pakistan Government, military and political parties had vacillating policy regarding the Pakistani Taliban. Sometimes, they would initiate great military operations against them and sometimes they would sign peace agreements with them. Some political parties would start peace negotiations with the Pakistani Taliban and some others would support military operations against them.
After the Peshawar attack, Pakistan made the following strategies:
- Building joint strategies against terrorism.
- Removal of non-execution law.
- Speed up the military operations.
- Creation of military courts.
- Cooperation with Afghan Government and NATO.
1, Joint Strategy against Terrorism:
The attack in Peshawar happened in such a time that the PTI was busy with protests against the Pakistan government because of the fraud that happened in elections and it was its 125th day of protests but with the attack, PTI also stopped its protests and the leader of PTI Imran Khan also participated in the conference of political parties, which was led by the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
In the conference there was one representative elected from every party, and including the military and intelligence institutions, there was a committee, which will make a plan against terrorism and they will submit it to the prime minister.
According to the plan of the mentioned committee comprehensive work strategy will be made against the Pakistani Taliban, the media will broadcast its update news, and there would be no struggle against the Pakistani Taliban, but also with the ones that support them.
2, Removal of non-execution:
After the Peshawar attack, the Pakistani Prime Minister removed the non-execution law and executed six people immediately. According to the Interior Minister of Pakistan Chohadry Nisar Ali Khan, in next few days many other criminals, who have done destructive activities and other similar activities, will also be executed.
3, Speeding Up Military Operations:
Only 24 hours after the incident of Peshawar, the Pakistani Army have performed 57 airstrike operations against the Pakistani Taliban, and they started Khaibar-One operations in Khaibar Agency.
4, Establishment of Military Courts:
In the committee that was led by the Interior Minister of Pakistan Chohadry Nisar Ali Khan, they spoke about establishment of military courts, it was said that they will deal with the ones that are involved in the activities against the military and their judgement would be based on the military law of Pakistan. Though three Pakistani Parties (National Awami Party, MQM, and Jamaat Islami) are against the mentioned policies; but still three large parties (Muslim League, People’s Party, and PTI) support it. There is nothing mentioned in the Pakistani Constitution about it; therefore, there is a necessity of adjustment in the law.
Coordination with NATO and Afghan Government in Military Operations:
On the day of the incident of Peshawar, the chief of Pakistani Army Rahill Sharif and the head of ISI Rezwan Akhtar came to Kabul, and they met with President Ashraf Ghani, the Chief of Afghan National Army, and the General Commander of NATO. It is said that Rahill Sharif has given Ashraf Ghani some proofs that the plan of the mentioned incident was made in Afghanistan, therefore Rahill Sharif asked President Ashraf Ghani and the commander of NATO to coordinate with Pakistan against Pakistani Taliban.
Since last few days, Afghan Security Forces also started military operations against the Pakistani Taliban in Dangam District of Kunar Province, which is appreciated in Pakistani media, and they present it as the proof of cooperation and friendly relationship of the new Afghan Government and Pakistan.
“Pakistan Changed”
Nawaz Sharif, during his speech to nation on December 24th 2014, said that Pakistan is changed about its strategies against the terrorism! He declared his strategy against terrorism. He briefly summarized his strategy in 21 points, the important ones of those are mentioned here:
- The government will execute those people that are sentenced to execution because of destructive activities.
- The one that are involved in destructive activities will be sentenced and punished based on the military law.
- There will be serious actions taken against the media and literature that inflame hatred and religious division.
- Religious Schools should be registered.
- Prohibition of destructive people to become famous.
- Homeless people will move back to their homes and construction in tribal areas will speed up.
- The activities of destructive people will be prohibited in social media like Facebook and Twitter.
- There would be action taken against extremism in some parts of Punjab.
- The ongoing operations of Karachi would be completed.
- A comprehensive plan would be built for resending Afghan refugees to Afghanistan.
Strategy of Pakistan Regarding Afghan Taliban:
Though there are visible changes in the strategies of Pakistan after the incident of Peshawar; but there is still the question, either Pakistan will have the same policy regarding the Afghan Taliban or not?
With the inauguration of the new government in Afghanistan, Kabul opened a new chapter of its relations with Islamabad. President Ashraf Ghani started soft policy, which is against the policy of the previous government with Pakistan, with which most of the doubts of Pakistan are removed, and currently Pakistan respects the attempts of the new government.
The soft policy of Ashraf Ghani regarding Pakistan, and the privileges of Afghanistan that it gave to Pakistan, it seems that Pakistan has given the below promises to the Afghan Government:
First: either Pakistan will bring Afghan Taliban to peace negotiation with the Afghan Government, or they will also struggle against the Afghan Taliban, especially the Haqqani Network.
Second: Pakistan will not allow Afghan Taliban to use the land of Pakistan for making their plans against Afghanistan.
Accordingly, Nawaz Sharif, in his last speech, said that they will not allow anyone to use land of Pakistan against Afghanistan, and if anyone do so they will face extreme reaction from the Pakistani Government.
From the speech of Pakistani Prime Minister, the trips of Pakistani high-ranking officials to Kabul, and the expressions of the Afghan Officials, it seems that Pakistan is in the process of changing its policies against the Afghan Taliban, and currently Afghan Officials are hopeful that they will see the changes of Pakistan regarding the Afghan Taliban.
The End