Wednesday (December 31, 2014): Speakers at a roundtable discussion at the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) unanimously demanded swift short and medium –to-long term strategies to counter terror- and extremism and insisted that long term answers to extremism and militancy lie only in good governance and indiscriminate enforcement of rule of law.
As many as 20 representatives of political parties, former ambassadors, legal experts, mediamen, political analysts and former senior police and military officials agreed on the need to comprehensive legislation on the article 245 of the constitution of Pakistan. Pointing to the uproar over the nature of courts, some politicians, most agreed that military courts were in conflict with the fundamental structure of the constitution. They also cautioned against the repercussions of military-led speedy trial courts for the civil-military relations. It could be a partial short-term remedy but the real answer to crime and terror will come from a revamped legal justice system.
They also underscored that the country expected more responsibility, maturity and transparency from the parliamentarians, rather than anchoring their arguments in the bitter past. The forum bemoaned the fact that the civilian-military ruling elites lacked the political will to enforce the law and that were reluctant in taking tough decisions.
Legal experts – underlined that the ongoing debate on how to counter terrorism lacked clarity. The government must correctly diagonose the root-causes that have landed the country in the current security crisis and increasing radicalization.
They said clarity in the debate on the counter-terror measures is required as to whether the parliament wants to deal with the situation through the civil law or the law of war. They also demanded that mnadrassa reforms (registration, curricula, funding issues) must be taken seriously to mainstream these private institutions.
Most participants underscored the need for a security paradigm shift , emphasizing that all proscribed organizations and their leaders be sternly dealt with in accordance with the law. They drew attention to the existence of a plethora of anti-terror law.
Rather than introducing new laws, the government and other state institutions must try enforcing them with sincerity without being selective.
The forum unanimously demanded comprehensive reforms in the legal justice system as well as immediate reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to guarantee equal rights to the FATA residents. They also demanded the repeal of the article 247 of constitution ( which vests all FATA-related powers in the office of the President) and the extension of fundamental rights into FATA, as demanded by the Peshawar High Court.
Participants welcomed the announcements by the army and the government that the “distinction between good and bad Taliban” was not relevant any more. Some participants however pointed out that the same must apply to Kashmir-focused militant groups as well.
Media representatives warned that the post Dec 16 national consensus on the response to terrorism was fast vanishing because of the paradoxical positions politicians have taken meanwhile.
Political parties, civil society, military and every segment of the society need to take ownership and work together for prevention of terrorism. Everything possible must be done to restore order in the country; whosoever is violating the law must be treated according to the law. Last but not the least an evaluation criterion is also needed to gauge the policies shaped.
Hashim Babar (QWP), Murtaza Solangi (Journalist, Former DG Radio Pakistan), Najib Ahmad (Radio News Network, FM-99), Ayaz Wazir(Analyst/Former Ambassador), Gen. Athar Abbas (Former DG ISPR), Mirwaise Khan (JUI-F Youth Wing), Jan Achakzai (Spokesperson, JUI-F), Tahira Abdullah (Human Rights Activist. HRCP), Air Vice Marshall (R) Shahzad Chandhry(Security Analyst), Shahzad Akbar (Barrister /Founder Foundation for Fundamental Rights, Legal Fellow Reprieve), Farhatullah Baber (Senator, PPP), Naveed Shinwari (CEO CAMP), Syed Talat Hussain (Anchor/Analyst), Ahmer Bilal Soofi (Barrister, Former Law Minister), Dr. Shoaib Suddle (Former IG, Federal Tax Ombudsman of Pakistan, Former Head Intelligence Bureau, Former IG Police Sindh), Nasim Zahra (Analyst/Anchor), Gen. (R) Asif Yaseen Malik (Former Secretary Defense), Fazal Rehman (Direcot,Pak-China Council), Gen. (R) Masood Aslam(Ex-corps commander officer ), Mariam Khan (CAMP)