April
20, 2007
Turmoil in the Tribal Belt of Pakistan?
A few days back, on April 12,
2007 to be exact, President Musharraf announced
at a multinational counter-terrorism conference
in Islamabad that the tribes of South Waziristan
had picked up arms and killed some 300 militants,
mainly Uzbeks, who were tied to Al Qaeda and Taliban.
What were the Uzbek doing in that remote, neglected
and primitive region? They had escaped the massacre
of hundreds of members of Uzbek Islamic Movement
in May 2005 by the troops of the ruling strongman,
Islam Karimov, and taken shelter in the mountainous
region of South Waziristan. Being militants and
radicals, they readily joined the ranks of Al Qaeda
and Taliban. They were suspected of crossing the
border into Afghanistan, attacking the coalition
forces and going back to their shelters in Waziristan.
Pakistan army launched a 12-day operation in March
2004 to flush them out, but were not fully successful.
It was discovered then that networks of tunnels
connected their fort-like houses that served as
hideouts and provided them with escape routes. Any
massive crack down and aerial bombing would have
killed innocent civilians too. Pakistan authorities
then seriously undertook negotiations with the tribal
elders and arrived at agreements laying down the
gradual withdrawal of Pakistan troops in return
for the assurance of local tribal chiefs that they
would expel from their areas foreign militants.
The action taken by the tribes, with the help of
the army, over the past few weeks has been presented
by President Musharraf as a success of his policy.
That the success in this operation could be achieved
with the active participation of the army also vindicated
the stand of the coalition commanders that the nature
of the conflict necessitated the presence of the
army and the draw down of troops from the area was
not such a good move.
US pressure had been increasing on President Musharraf
to show results in doing away with militants and
radicals on his side of the border. Suspicions had
also been expressed about his playing a double game,
declaring support for the US war on terrorism while
tacitly encouraging the militants to operate.
To a questioning mind such a conspiratorial theory
holds little appeal. It merely betrays a lack of
knowledge about the unique features of the mountainous
region, the system of values in that tribal society.
It is a wild region, “wilder than the wild
west” in the words of President Bush himself.
It is an artifact, a virtual museum of colonial
times but without any foreign tourists as they wisely
avoid the perilous area.
Famed as a mountainous haven for smugglers, drug
dealers, gun runners, kidnappers and other fugitives
from law, the area is inhabited mainly by Pakhtoon
tribes living in a world that time has passed by
and governed by their own code of conduct called
Pakhtoonwali. Fiercely independent, over-zealous
of their values of honor and revenge, these tribal
people would rather die than surrender their guests
to anyone. Failing to do so would put a tribe to
shame for generations. That is the root cause of
the trouble in apprehending the elements of Taliban
and Al Qaeda who have sought and probably received
the local chieftains’ hospitality.
Taking the above into account, Pakistan authorities
launched a two-pronged strategy to deal with the
situation. They would negotiate while they were
not fighting, and would fight when negotiations
broke down. The process led eventually to the agreement
with the tribal chieftains. They did comply with
the requirement to expel foreign fighters from their
area but not without the help of the army.
This is perhaps one success of his policies that
Musharraf can flaunt. He is otherwise engulfed in
problems, some of which are of his own creation.
The suspension of the Chief Justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry,
and the consequent demonstrations of lawyers buttressed
by political parties, the disaffection in Balochistan
following the elimination of Sardar Akbar Bugti,
the judicial enquiry into the land allocations in
Gawader particularly to senior officials –both
military and civil- the continued defiance of government
writ by the Imams of Islamabad, may be mentioned
in this context.
He has also been negotiating with Benazir Bhutto,
head of PPP, the terms of her return to the country
and participation in the general election. According
to an account of this given by Benazir to a private
TV and reported widely by the media, an understanding
has been reached about the suspension of the corruption
cases at home and abroad against her and her husband.
She would reciprocate by supporting Musharraf in
his bid for election as President for another term
of 5 years by the existing Assemblies.
One cannot help wondering whether these personal
agendas of the two leaders constituted the chief
problems of the nation. Any agreement on any national
issue? No!
One may also be justified in wondering whether corruption
is a crime against the society or of any particular
individual. If it is a cognizable offence against
the society, it would have to be adjudicated by
a court of law. Similarly, it would be hoodwinking
the electorate to have Musharraf elected for another
term by the out-going Assemblies. Can Benazir and
Musharraf be constitutionally justified to hold
offices for a third term each?
Against this disturbing backdrop, the success of
the tribal chiefs in expelling the radicals of Uzbekistan
from South Waziristan is a welcome development.
Concentration of government efforts should now be,
in collaboration with the US, on projects leading
to the socio-economic development of the region.
It cannot be neglected further. Thousands of miles
of roads have already been built, but thousands
more have to be built and in a hurry. New schools,
new means of livelihood have to be established.
The system of self-governance granted to the tribes
during the British period merits reconsideration
and revision not only in the tribal belt but also
in Balochistan where some progress in that direction
is being reported. Issues like these merit debate
and discussion among the leaders of opinion in the
country.
Arifhussaini@hotmail.com
