In Pakistan’s Daily Times, Syed Mansoor Hussain writes about the rising presence and popularity of the Taliban in Pakistan, and how this parallels conservative Christian power in the United States:
What we are seeing in Pakistan is really the political divide between the liberal secular political parties and the conservative Islamist parties. Over the last few decades something similar happened in the US when the Republican Party swung to the right and became dependent politically on the conservative Christians for electoral support.
However much liberals might dislike the idea of Talibanisation, the fact is that what Pakistan needs most at this point is the kind of austerity usually but inaccurately associated with the Islamist parties.
…Unless we can de-link Islam and the Taliban it is unlikely that Pakistan can make much progress in this respect. And that, in my opinion, is the greatest challenge that faces us a nation at this time.
Is some degree of Talibanisation of Pakistan inevitable? The answer to that question is a partial yes. Traditionally conservative areas will become more religious in time, not unlike the so-called Bible belt in the US. But not all of Pakistan.
Read the rest of Hussain’s piece, including a satirical look at the positive effects of a Talibanized Pakistan, here.
The current series of peace talks with Taliban or militant groups is part of conflict resolution strategy of combating militancy. It shouldn’t be taken as point of deciding whether we are siding with PTI’s stance of having a soft corner towards these Taliban or we should continue criticizing the process of negotiations. Negotiation is always used as a tool of conflict resolution to sort out the peaceful resolution of problem in question. It is practiced as an important component of Defense and Strategic Studies throughout the globe. Whether it can work or not depends upon a lot of factors pushing the partners to shift their options of continuing the conflict in battle field.
So when we talk about talks with Taliban, bringing the enemy or I would say potential enemy on table (controversy is still going on to define the status of groups such as the Taliban, foreign elements, non-state actors, insurgents, freedom fighters etc.), it shouldn’t be treated as call of opinion for citizens on how they judge this initiative of government. Citizens have a role to influence the state policies but we have already used that during electoral process and suggest we should wait for the experts in field to have their say. This prolonged, never-ending debate whether we are with or against Taliban is getting us nowhere but towards a point of division in two extreme sections of society: extreme Left and extreme Right. I assume we common Pakistanis are moderate people. We value our religion, we are tolerant to accommodate different view, and who are not too orthodox to let a small group of people guide us on following their interpreted version of Islam.