Terrorism: Major threat to Pakistan’s National Security

In the new literature on national security, internal factors are equally and sometimes more important than the traditional factors. The state of Pakistan at the moment has a stronger challenge to its security from the internal factors as compared to external. Pakistan faces multi forms of terrorism, no other country in the world is entangled in this problem as the Pakistan of today. Ethnic terrorism which led to the dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971 resurfaced again on the question of linguistic differences in the some parts of the country but has been brought under control with the mainstreaming of ethnic political parties. Nationalist terrorism has mainly been witnessed in province of Balochistan at regular intervals and mainly revolves around the issues of exploitation of resources and threat to the political identity and culture of minorities sub-nationalities. Sectarianism in Pakistan was an extended version of rivalries between Northern Alliance and certain Sunni factions in Afghanistan and an aftermath of Iran & Iraq war, Jehadi terrorism which emerged in the post 9/11 scenario is by far the most serious threat to Pakistan so far because of its role as the front line state in war against terrorism. The tension between ultra conservative and moderate followers of Islam is mounting and weakening the sate structure. It is beyond the capacity of a single person or a one time effort to eradicate the deep rooted problem from the society. An institutional mechanism with wide ranging participation on regular and permanent basis is the only way to fight this menace.

No doubt for centuries national security has been the basic and paramount concern of the nation states. While achieving enduring security has remained to be the most cherishable reward for states, over the years the concept of security has developed and considerably changed. Since its inception, Pakistan has been facing the challenge of national security. Traditionally, the threat to Pakistan’s security has been external. However, today it can be arguably asserted that the major threat to national security in Pakistan emanates more from internal sources rather than external. The most serious threat facing Pakistan at the moment is

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posed by terrorism and the focus of our national efforts to ensure lasting security should be addressed to these internal factors.

Pakistan is facing the menace of terrorism in multiple forms. Pakistan at present is facing the most unique, difficult and gruesome faces of terrorism. No other country in the world is so deeply entangled in this problem as the Pakistan of today. All text book categories of terrorism confront Pakistan.

Pakistan had the first taste of ethnicity in the very early period of its being when the whole eastern wing agitated on the question of one national language – Urdu. The discontent established itself into a political movement and led ultimately to the unfortunate events of 1971 resulting in dismemberment of the state. The political struggle organized on ethnic lines gave a harrowing display of ethnic terrorism when militant organization like Mukti Bahni started eliminating West Pakistanis and specially the Punjabis. In the recent history of ‘New’ Pakistan, ethnicity emerged again in the wake of language riots. This time in the province of Sindh where Urdu speaking urbanites of Karachi and Hyderabad clashed with native Sindhis. The quest of Mohajirs – migrants in the wake of partition – for a parallel political identity as the fifth sub nationality along with the native Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtuns and Balochs lead to large scale bloodshed and terrorist activities. The ethnic terrorism took hold of major urban cities for nearly a decade in late 80s and 90s but it has subsided for the time being partly due to rejuvenated economic activity and mainstreaming of the ethnic groups but mostly due to political stability giving enough economic and political space to the major players.

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A hostile ally

Oct 29th 2009 | ISLAMABAD
From The Economist print edition
Clinton flies into a war zone

A VISIT to Pakistan this week by Hillary Clinton, America’s secretary of state, was greeted in the grimmest possible fashion. A suicide-bomber exploded a car packed with explosives and killed over 100 people in a crowded bazaar in Peshawar, in North-West Frontier Province. The presumed culprits, the Taliban, have also reached the capital, Islamabad. On October 22nd an army brigadier was ambushed outside his house and killed by two gunmen on a motorcycle. In two bloody weeks more than 250 people have died in suicide-attacks in Peshawar, Islamabad and Lahore. Security agencies are warning of more murder to come.
Mrs Clinton visited Pakistan for several important reasons. She wanted to assure Pakistanis that America is no longer just a fair-weather friend. Rather, it is here to stay and support Pakistan in its fight against terrorism and poverty. A bill signed by President Barack Obama on October 12th grants Pakistan $7.5 billion in assistance for development and to alleviate poverty in the next five years.

However, that act of apparent generosity was spurned by most Pakistanis as “insulting and intrusive” because of conditions attached to it, which implied that Pakistan’s army and security agencies were complicit in harbouring terrorists and undermining the civilian government of President Asif Zardari. Egged on by the army, the Pakistani press, its mindset forged by years of state-sponsored jihad against the infidels—the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s and India in the 1990s—has assailed the legislation as “dishonouring” Pakistan and serving only American interests. Indeed, until very recently, the predominant view was that the war against the Taliban was America’s fight, not Pakistan’s. Against this backdrop, Mrs Clinton came to Pakistan not just to pledge support in counter-terrorism but to prop up its fledgling democracy.

But first she has to resolve continuing strains in her country’s relationship with Pakistan’s powerful army. America has welcomed its campaign against militants in South Waziristan. But it wants the army to go further and to take the offensive in other parts of the tribal areas, where the Taliban and al-Qaeda have safe havens from which they are attacking NATO forces across the border in Afghanistan.

American pressure has been stepped up in the days leading to the presidential-election run-off in Kabul on November 7th. The Americans hope that Pakistan’s efforts can help bolster turnout. But the Pakistani army is loth to divert too many forces from the Indian border, until the peace process with India makes some progress.