Islamabad—The debate on internal security is definitely not getting the importance that it deserves.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif seemed to have left it in the lurch after its grand opening. PTI’s Imran Khan somehow tries to copy Nawaz Sharif by avoiding the National Assembly. It does not make sense as there is a huge difference between their situations. One is already the Prime Minister while the other aspires to become that. One would expect IK to work at least twice as much and with half the attitude that he exhibits these days. Prime Ministers can have reasons to be illusive, but opposition politicians can’t afford that luxury. Imran seemed to have lost interest in active politics. Or so is the impression that one gets as far as the National Assembly is concerned.

With most party heads disinterested in the crucial debate the lesser minions could not care more. So it struck us as a ray of hope to come across a solid speech from PPP’s Shazia Marri—like a shining star in a desert of boredom. She seems to be the best addition that the otherwise deadwood PPP has introduced in the Centre.

Shazia focused on the non-operational side of the internal security which was equally important, if not more. Our pundits seem have become overly military centric. Where is the agenda for reforming educational curriculum and course correction for the narratives on the streets? How are we going to control hate speech and how will get our youth out of this trauma? She was dot on to say that the draft throws light on identification of the problem but gives little details as how to go about it. When and how do we do that?

Perhaps we should take a start from Punjab. Shazia was quick to point out that the document mentions crime figures from all over the country for the period between 2010 and 2013 except from Punjab. This gave the impression as if Punjab was crime-free. How about the 168 militant targets that Punjab Minister Rana Sanaullah mentioned recently? When you will order crackdown against them, she asked in defiance of the Speaker’s repeated interruptions. Ayaz Sadiq had allowed extra time to one boring speaker after another but somehow would not let a good speaker complete her argument. Already, many female members complain that Ayaz is a little sterner towards their gender. We are not sure if this was real or just an act to stay away from the dreaded Dasti radar.

One could not disagree with Shazia that the focal point to start this battle against religious militancy is Madrassahs. That’s where it all germinates. We have to reform Madrassahs if we want to eradicate extremism. These are the nurseries which provide sanctuary to terrorism sleeping cells.

And guess who rose to the defence of madrassah reforms: Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who also happens to be the biggest benefactor and beneficiary of Madrassahs in Pakistan. He was furious over the idea. He roared that we have already gone through that exercise a decade ago and would not let any purge of Madrassahs. He alleged that it’s private sector which is teaching “sex education” whereas the Madrassahs are the saviours of Islam and Pakistan.

Maulana may have missed one major fact. That almost all suicidal bombers were picked up from Madrassahs was not a coincidence. Shazia Marri was only talking about reforming Madrassahs and not closing them. What is wrong if they could be given more facilities and equipped with wider curriculum under better regulation? Perhaps Maulana should check with the syllabus of Darul Uloom in Deoband, India, now and before the Partition. Even Maulana Maudoodi’s degree of “Maulvi,” which was equivalent to grade eight, had English literature and science subjects as part of the curriculum.

Fazlur Rehman came down heavily against the government strategy of dealing with Taliban. He explained that he kept his distance because he disagreed with the government policy of exclusively dealing with the TTP. His argument was that this would encourage other groups to resort to violence to get on the negotiations table. He may not be wrong as this is exactly what is happening.

He expressed his displeasure of the surgical operations in Fata in a roundabout way: “The government intention was to keep the Army on board but right now it’s quite the opposite.”

He dared the government for changing the syllabus of Madrassahs. He believed liberals are working on the American agenda to reform Madrassahs and Nawaz Sharif, if he tries that, would be toeing their line. He warned that “we shall not let that happen.”

One has to give credit to the Maulana for his politics. He has been part of every government for the last two decades and yet he can play the role of the victim so easily. He sits on the government benches, as do his three ministers, but he speaks in the tone of the opposition. He can beat Sun Tzu, Machiavelli and even Chanakia hands down in the great art of being the opposition in the government and vice versa. He was neither with the Taliban, nor with the government and definitely with the opposition. So who was he with? The simple answer is: basically with himself and his interests.

He minced no words in articulating his interests. He believed the easiest way to make the Taliban toothless was by implementing all the recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII). And guess who is the head of the CII ? His own Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani. He was against Necta head being given the over-arching powers but wanted this country to be handed over to the CII. The Constitution-framers, including his father and that of Maulana Samiul Haq, must have reasons to keep the CII just an advisory body. Think about it.

Published on: thespokesman.pk

Date: Thursday, 06 March 2014