The menace is growing to awesome proportions while efforts for finding solutions are miniscule. How could we ever win this fight? The Nation is at war and needs to act at war footing as a whole. Post-factum izhar-e-muzzamat is all one hears from those who are responsible to deal with it! You and I can do it too!
The Government, the Media and the People themselves – its singular victims, are woefully remiss on what each of them can and should be doing to subvert this mayhem. There is no evidence even of any serious and systematic thinking by all the pundits, the political leadership, the so called thinkers, columnists and even the self-proclaimed “Think Tanksâ€. All of them are defaulting.
(A) The Government is firstly responsible for the safety of all its citizens and has miserably failed. Granted, terrorists and suicide bombers act in secrecy. Also granted, that it is extremely difficult to prevent a determined terrorist. But, by now there must have been enough knowledge and experience available about their profiles, backgrounds, origins, modus-operandi, gadgetry, materials and equipment used, to greatly minimise their activities. In reality, both the geographical spread and intensity of their attacks has increased.
If the government really desires that the people participate and help in curbing this menace, it has to go all out and actively seek partners among people. It must do a massive job of informing, educating, and training firstly themselves, thereafter facilitating the public and the media about what to look for and what to do if they encounter potential miscreants. Sadly, even those responsible for our safety are not capable of protecting even themselves. They are dying as the first targets of these attackers, taking us the citizens along, as their collateral.
The police and others in public safety business must also radically change their professional approach and working methods. They should themselves learn to understand their methods and thereafter to effectively deal with them.
The Police must also adopt community approaches and radically improve their own image, so that the people are not afraid of approaching them. Growing apathy is killing – presently the person reporting the crime himself becomes victim of the investigation. This must stop.
It is not enough asking the people to report suspicious activity and persons. Which Organization is to be approached, its Location in each local area and Phone numbers must be advertised and painted all over the neighbourhoods. The Police must also promptly respond when approached. The mushrooming Private Security Guards who are seen everywhere, must be fully incorporated in a network to be organised for communal security.
At least Three specific steps must be immediately taken uniformly throughout Pakistan. It will then reduce the problem to a level where the existing law-enforcement agencies would be in a position to deal with it.
(1) Uniforms similar to those issued by Government are increasingly used by attackers. Even the Private Security Guards look like Soldiers and the Police. All the Private Security Guards throughout Pakistan should wear a single, distinguishable colour uniforms which are visible from a distance. Bright yellow is being suggested here. They should not display any Badges or Ribbons. Their Companies and employees should all be Registered with the Ministry of Interior. Their name and NIC number prominently engraved on their uniforms. They should all be incorporated in each community security plan to be organised by the local administration with the participation and knowledge of all the citizens in the community.
(2) Stolen and unknown ownership Vehicles and Motorbikes are increasingly being utilised in bombings and attacks, carrying fake, tempered and illegally produced registration plates. It is not just the terrorists and other criminals who follow this. Many in the civil society are unwittingly contributing to this crime by displaying Registration Plates of their own creation, without authorisation. It is a crime to use non-prescribed plates and temper or reproduce officially issued plates. This practice aids the criminals and must STOP. Violators should be heavily penalised including impounding of such vehicles. No Exceptions Whatsoever.
(3) Mobile phones have been increasingly used as detonators by terrorists and instruments of speedy, real time communications in committing crimes. NICs of individuals are illegally used without their knowledge to obtain SIMs connections. The PTA has a verification system that tells an individual which company has issued how many SIMs in one’s name. Firstly, the mobile phone service providers must have their records perfected. It is also the duty of every individual to ensure that illegal SIMs are not being issued in their names. Otherwise, both are partners in terrorism. People can verify their SIMs by either going to: http://www.pta.gov.pk/668/index.html or contact the phone company, seeking directions for further action.
(B) The entire media, in particular TV,Radio and Urdu press, have the major responsibility to raise awareness by analysing the incidents and not merely reporting upon them. They should investigate and report on common strands between different acts of terrorism. They must analyse in depth by looking beyond the news story and then disseminate the experiences, knowledge and suggested courses of action – regularly. These broadcasts, articles and news items must be repeated frequently to reach those who missed them earlier.
Theirs’ is a very powerful and expensive tool. Even if the Government does what it should as has been suggested above, the role and responsibility to propagate it further would remain with the media. The TV/Radio channels and newspapers must do that as a public service. They themselves become easy targets of these very attackers. Doing this civic service can also be a service to them.
(C) Finally, the people themselves. Self protection and preservation is everybody’s desire. Don’t we do it every day and all the time? Even before crossing the road, we look to the Right and the Left. Communities themselves organize their own “Crime Watch†systems both in the western and developing countries.
All Governments are notoriously incapable, in-efficient, slow and mostly re-active. No government in the world can fully contain terrorism and suicide-bombings. So, for our own sake we can not entrust our lives solely in the Government’s hands. In the end it will be us who are the victims. Here are six things as a minimum, we should and must do:
1) Know our neighbours, cooperate and communicate with each other to secure your surroundings.
2) Familiarise with the geography of our surroundings at home and work and watch out for any lurking strangers. Even the neighbourhood dogs bark upon seeing an unknown face. Why can’t we show similar vigilance?
3) Be watchful of any strange and unusual activity taking place around us. Take charge and act.
4) Get organized in our neighbourhoods. Know whom to contact, where to report, and reach for help in case of trouble or emergency.
5) Secure our work place. These bombings are largely an urban phenomena, where people unknown to each other come together to shop, work and visit. It therefore also becomes the responsibility of the shop-keepers, the office managers and others who are present there all the time to be vigilant of strangers and be active to secure their own work places, businesses and surroundings. Act fast, safely and expeditiously and also involve law-enforcement officials.
6) In the event of an attack or bombing don’t crowd the place, stay away and let the professionals function. The gathering public not only hinders the work of medics, relief workers and police but can also facilitate escape by the criminals. Moreover, in the event of a repeat attack OR gas and electrical explosions, those in the crowd would become ready victims.
Let us all make a beginning here. Other readers are invited to contribute additional and better approaches to improve upon the initial suggestions made here. Amen.
If scanners are used at the entry points of any or atleast the majorly targetted cities, the problem can be a bit controlled.
Secondly there should be just a few open entrances to the city and others should be barricaded.
Thirdly the people should keep a strict eye over the activities in their neighbour hoods. I don’t mean that totally spying them but just atleast spying on any suspicious activity.
I think these simple things can overcome the Terrorism Problem and I am sure that this war will be Won !
Excellent and detailed post. However, I do not agree with printing NICs of private security guards on their uniforms. NIC is a private number and only a few privileged institutions should have access to it. If one can read these NICs on every security guard’s uniform, don’t you think there will be bank accounts, phone accounts etc etc opened under their names?
Other than that, an excellent article. I would like to challenge ATP readers to come up with an implementation plan for the proposal that the author has suggested.
My thoughts are as follows:
I believe that it will be a long process to recover from where we currently are. It may take up to a generation of good governance to get back to normal life. But to get there, first we need to educate our people. Nurture our kids and make sure they get the best possible education. We need to create intellectual thinkers rather than blind followers. This starts even before elementary school education. You see where I am going? Yes, we need to get better kindergarten, , primary as well as secondary teachers.
Ofcourse we need to get better college teachers too but that can wait for now. We really need to start at grass root level and nurture our future generation. When these kids grow older, we need to provide better college environment and teachers who can implement the curriculum in a way that children actually learn something instead of fooling around.
The government need to stop interfering with private companies. Matters such as fixing the price for sugar, meat etc. should be left to those private companies and let them sort it out through competition. Ofcourse the government need to create a task force to keep them in check and monitor for price gouging, price fixing etc.
At the same time, train the police. The ATF are world class. This should be a model for police. Create separate branches within police such as traffic, detective/investigation, law and order etc. A one year of training can bring great results in their attitude as well as work ethics.
We also need to invest in infrastructure. Build roads, bridges, sewer system, dams etc. This will provide jobs to most of the uneducated people who are prime target for terrorist recruitment. The money paid to these people will circle back into the economy creating more jobs in restaurant, agriculture, sanitation industries which inturn will benefit more economic development.
Now that we have all this money flowing into the economy and children are getting better education, build parks, entertainment zones to reduce public frustration. We have beautiful beaches. Invest in them and make it a place where people go and enjoy.
We are about 4 years into the rebuild process.
In the fifth year, we should invest in training college teachers who can further educate our kids coming out of secondary school system. We also need to find a way to stop these kids from going abroad for further education. This means, build colleges, universities such as AKU, GIK, NED etc that are recognized worldwide.
From then on, it will be auto cruise. At this time, the government can try to get foreign companies to invest in our country. Industries such as garments, auto parts etc. that were the icon of Pakistan at one time needs to be revitalized. With proper education and infrastructure, we can get the foreign companies to come back into our country.
I know the first question will be, where do we get the money to implement these things. Well, first, reduce the size of our military. I know some members on ATP have serious concerns with India but I don’t. We can easily reduce the army by 15 – 20 % and get the above goals. I would also implement agriculture tax if your land produces more than a certain amount of food. Yes, I know this is a tough decision but I am not saying to tax poor farmers. I want to tax those land lords who make landfall profits but pay no taxes.
I know many will disagree with me but I strongly believe that if we follow this process, our country will prosper. Our political leaders need to stop making short term promises and lay out a long term plan. I am sure our people will understand government’s commitment if the government is sincere.
Pakistan can not win this war.
How can we when the Gov is hell bent in issuing licenses for heavy weapons to every tom, dick and harry.
Thanks for sharing – good post, with some great tactics and suggestions – if only the people and government could hear all this…. It is upon the private citizen to act upon events and be more vigilant – not just mourn and continue to be apathetic. Media can play a role, but it is not a strong enough institution to elicit such change independently – It can, however, provide a strong impetus to people to be moved to get off their divans and act. It has been done before.
Having said that, my only concern is implementation – not only by the gov’t (lord help us if we have to rely on them for any kind of help, direction, or protection), but even if people ban together, how will the centralization of information, where to call, who to report etc. be disseminated? Even if the Media and communities do more, the info at hand will not be centralized and the message will not be uniform, potentially causing more frustration and ineffectiveness. What or why should anyone report anything, if the big fear, as you mention as well, is that those who report anything also become the victim or suspect in a case? The challenge is to get the Gov’t to issue the ‘edict’ saying that it has to STOP that practice. Unfortunately it is a very tricky dance between public and private – Marrying the two in a country with such underdeveloped infrastructure and no reliable or accountable institutions is an almost impossible feat. One cannot really achieve this goal without the other – our system and institutions are too fragmented, dysfunctional and in cardiac arrest – and peppered with the politics of the day, so it is unclear how much of a priority it is for the powers that be… Even a simple protocol, whereby after any kind of crime, accident, or homicide, the area must be taped off and become a secure crime zone – is not even done – EVER! Evidence is lost, washed away with hoses, or trampled on by onlookers. Most Pakistani’s with a TV or Internet connection have seen the American TV shows (CSI: Miami, Law and Order…) to know what the bare bone basics are. Our institutions cannot even carry out the basics. This is why strong institutions which can provide legitimate law and order are the only first step to carrying out the many sound suggestions you provide – both private (media, citizens) and public (gov’t institutions) have to work in tandem at some basic level, to ensure uniform and proper implementation – A common, unified voice and message. Our country has not reached that stage in it’s development yet, unfortunately. We have too many petty preoccupations…Nonetheless, my hope is that the media and people can show their strength, drive and determination by becoming more vigilant and putting forth the right questions and solutions – BUT, more than that, they MUST pressure and storm the nation’s halls of government and demand their leaders to provide the basics – many of which you have clearly outlined.
When the lawyers movement was at its height, it was a slow – violent at times – road, but things did take a turn and many people witnessed the people power and a sense of national pride ensued for many on March 16, 2009 after the Long March (NY Times Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/world/asia/17voi ces.html?_r=2&hp) . The people spoke and things did happen. Ultimately, the people must demand – and make their voice LOUD & CLEAR – take to the streets if they must – it’s only about the safety and preservation of their children and country after all – I’d say that’s a lot at stake (more than a BMW Series 7 or a new 2 kanal marble exterior, gold plated bangla under construction)! People must rise up – again…If they are lost, scared, silent and apathetic, then nothing comes out of nothing.
Very detailed post. Unfortunately, even if these solutions are implemented completely, they will perhaps ameliorate some of the symptoms, but not the cause; hence the terrorists will evolve and simply seek different routes of attack.
In every society there are fringe elements bent on destruction and murder. Our main task as a nation is to ensure that such groups do not gain popular support; unfortunately, in Pakistan they have done exactly that by casting themselves as being “pro-Islamic” and “anti-Western.” This is the first group of people we are fighting, i.e. religious fanatics.
The second group is the so-called “Pakistani Taliban,” of whom the bulk of the force is composed of Pashtun nationalists fighting the army in the tribal areas, and more religiously extreme elements carrying out attacks in Pakistani urban centers.
Of all the initiatives in progress by Pakistan, the U.S., etc, the one most likely to reduce the murder of innocent people is the one to bring some of the “moderate” groups to the negotiating table.
History has shown time and again that the best way to defeat extremist groups is to include them in the political process. (To be very clear, I’m not advocating the inclusion of terrorists).