Abdul Quayyum Khan Kundi
The state’s basic function is to protect the lives, livelihood, and property of its citizens. A state that fails to discharge this function is considered a failed state. History tells us that such failed states cannot continue for long and eventually dissolve. Pakistan has become a killing field with impunity not just for terrorists but also for state institutions. We have witnessed incidents like Model Town, Sahiwal, and police target killings. In railway accidents, almost 485 people died in the last two years. The minister was rewarded rather than punished for such abject failure. These mass murders were not committed by any foreign state entity. The state itself mercilessly killed citizens and has not punished those that engaged in such acts rather they are still roaming free. The citizen also engaged in mob violence against other innocent citizens. There have been multiple incidents of lynching, of both Muslim and non-Muslims, by leveling false allegations of blasphemy. The state has failed to punish those that engaged in such acts. The foreign powers have killed us both through drones, and rogue agents, as we witnessed in Raymond Davis and Abbottabad. The state failed to protect citizens from these foreign aggressors rather called them our strategic partners. Terrorists enjoyed a field day in our country for a long time as we witnessed in APS school in Peshawar, Lahore Easter bomb attack, Quetta lawyers attacked, and multiple attacks on Hazara community. The point is that citizens of Pakistan are not safe from its state institutions, from each other, from foreign powers, and also from terrorists. There seems to be complete disrespect for human lives. Can we call ourselves a state that has the right to continue? I am not inciting treason or losing hope in our future. I am just highlighting that we should recognize that this rejected republic cannot continue any further. We need to urgently build a second republic that is for the people by the people. About three years ago, I decided I will never issue a public statement to condemn again as it does not serve any purpose. So I am not going to issue any such statements about the recent brutal killing by police of Usama Nadeem Satti as well as the terrorist slaughter of Hazara in Mach, Balochistan. I will rather double the efforts to initiate national political dialogue to build a better republic that can assure the safety of its citizens. The subject of police brutality and excessive use of power will be tackled when we discuss reforms at national political dialogue. I do want to talk about tackling terrorist attacks. We have adopted the wrong approach to dealing with terrorist attacks. We have this habit of creating a judicial commission for every act of terror. What can a judicial commission do? It can only recommend some changes to the standard operating procedures and suggest institutional capacity building. We have many past reports to guide us. The need is the implementation of these recommendations. Investigation and prosecution of terrorist acts should be the responsibility and mandate of FIA. An FIA special investigation team should be assigned immediately for the Quetta Hazara incident. The second question is the repeated failure of IB and ISI to collaborate and coordinate information to apprehend perpetrators. Both ISI and IB have indeed prevented many terrorist attacks. Their intelligence data and reports should have clues to apprehend the culprits of an act. IB is responsible for internal intelligence gathering while ISI for foreign counterintelligence and foreign-sponsored terrorist attack. Local police maintain a record of criminals and underground operators. FIA special investigation team should pool resources from police, IB, and ISI to identify local facilitators and financial sponsors of the Mach terrorist attack. This team should submit its first report to the government within fifteen days. This incident should be considered as a test case to apprehend all culprits. Special efforts are required to ensure that minor criminals are not used as a scapegoat. It has been the case in the past. Unless and until criminals, both local and foreign murderers, are prosecuted, we will not be able to build a better state. It is time to act rather than point fingers at each other or engage in political time scoring.—————–
