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TACKLING TERRORISM


Pakistan needs global attention not only on the terrorist attacks taking place in the country, but also on its efforts to uphold democractic values, rights and freedoms to confront the issue.


terrorism makes repeated use of two stereotypes: first that it is fed ideologically by Islamic fundamentalism and extremism; and secondly that all terrorists, suicide bombers and killers seem to grow out from the tribal lands bordering between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Unfortunately both are facts, true for terrorism in our region. But these facts are naturalized


and presented as if it was always and


has always been this way, making this to be a problem for which we alone are considered responsible. There is little if any perspective by way of history or context that led us to this present state. For instance, it is equally a fact that terrorism was unheard of in Pakistan prior to 9/11, but this fact seldom makes it to the news analysts’ desks. It is also a fact that Pakistani


voters have never voted for religious


parties at popular level and have never subscribed to an extremist mindset while making a choice of their representatives. Finally, it is also a fact that terrorism and religious extremism in Pakistan are the products of a collective policy of the world’s powers, a political and historical phenomena growing out of the different phases of the Afghan war and the policies through which fighters were recruited, trained and supported.


It is a fact that the terrorist industry


in the region is related to a call for an Islamic jihad against Soviet imperialism which was covertly encouraged and supported by the United States Central Intelligence Agency in partnership with a dictatorial and mercenary military regime in Pakistan in the 1980s. This strategy used Pakistan’s tribal territory, called the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (F.A.T.A.), as a training


The Parliamentarian | 2013: Issue One | 15


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