Jahangir's World Times First Comprehensive Magazine for students/teachers of competitive exams and general readers as well.
This article explores the psychological, social, political and economic costs of war on terror waged by Pakistan on behalf of US. Since terrorist acts are goal-oriented and based on reason, they can’t be eradicated merely by military means. In view of this challenging reality this article evokes a human security compatible fight against terrorism.
Rational choice theory is a framework for conceptualising and formally modelling social, economic, philosophical, and political behaviours. The fundamental idea of this theory is that individuals, groups and states arrange their behaviours in society in order to maximise their benefits and minimise costs. Applying this theory for analysing the cost-benefit analysis of war on terror being waged by Pakistan since 2001, it can be concluded that this war is versus the theory of rational choice. Results of unending war on terror reveal that when war was started by Pakistan either the cost-benefit calculation was not contemplated clearly or it was left over to the unforeseen future with hope for the best.
As regard to psycho-social costs of the war, the first and foremost exposed curse is rise in militancy and extremism, which narrows the circle of common people’s lives. When government of Pakistan participated in the US-led war on terrorism it was to work against its old policy of islamisation and increasing extremism in Pakistan. It was a challenge to crack down on madaris and religious groups which were preaching and teaching militant Islam. Initially, Musharraf administration policed some militant groups within Pakistan and Kashmir through banning the organisations and their activities. However, since there was lack of coordination among government, military and intelligence groups on the matter of eradication of these religious groups in view of their Kashmir policy, India factor, and very old roots of the madaris (cropped up through Saudi finance), therefore, this double policy encouraged the militant figures and fostered militancy as well as religious extremism within country and beyond the borders. At present, even with government’s claims to triumph over extremist symptoms and militancy within state the reality shows that this curse is still upsetting and un-abating.
Along with suicide bombing, drone attack is also one of the mortal causalities inflicted upon common people since 2004 by CIA’s Special Activities Division. The series of attacks takes place in the Tribal Areas and Afghan border of Khaibar Pakhtunkhwa aiming at to defeat Taliban and al-Qaeda militants. This US intervention and infringement of Pakistan’s sovereignty, and the civilian deaths as a result of the drone attacks has been cause of increasing extremism and intensifying suicide attacks.
As a result of this prolonged war another heavy social repercussion is the issue of internal displacement. Factual figures declare that around more than 5 million people from northern areas migrated to different parts of country during military operations. The dark side of this internal displacement is not only psychological, material and personal sufferings of the IDPs but a long lasting social implication in the form of various upsetting issues such as irregular management in case of registration and placement of these IDPs, migration of terrorists from tribal areas to the urban domains of other provinces, opposition against influx of IDPs in those provinces and dilemma of identity.
Such major loopholes in this fight have created many doubts and raised a number of questions as to the political strength and sovereign status of the state. In addition, the extended nature of war and safe havens for militants has been cause of some crucial political issues on internal and international level. In this regard, one of the most tragic instances is lack of concentration and proper redress of the problems of insurgency-hit region of Balochistan. During Musharraf era Balochistan was dominated by JUI (Pashtun dominated fundamentalist and pro-Taliban party) through rigged elections. Later on, assassination of Nawab Akbar Bugti added fuel to the flames. The situation was depicted by a Baloch political figure in these words ‘US assistance against Taliban is redeployed against Balochs.
With regard to Pakistan’s position in international community, the assassination of Osama bin Laden, the head of militant group of al-Qaeda in Abbotabad by United States Special Sources Military Unit staged a whole new ball game for Pakistan by reason of backing on the wrong horse. Pakistan was to face immediate questions and criticism by international community as to the safe residence of the world’s most wanted individual in Pakistan close to Pakistan Military Academy.
Factual information verifies the economic costs as the heavy loss of this war as a result of prolonged war and deficiency of proper directives. According to estimation Pakistan has spent around $ 35-40 billion since 2001. Together with direct financial cost Pakistan is paying huge economic price; such as, setback to foreign direct investment in Pakistan, lower domestic consumption, cut on development expenditures, suspension of revenues from sports activities, affect on tourism, in case of trust-deficit hard visa policies by several countries for Pakistani traders, students and professionals.
All the above stated costs are heavy challenges for human security and prosperity. These costs have created a wide gap between state and society. Majority of people consider it US war by Pakistan for the achievement of US interests.
In order to meet the challenges of terrorism and reducing the threats for human security, we need to review the root causes of terrorism within theoretical frame work. Three sociological hypotheses of terrorism like: (i) The frustration-aggression hypothesis (ii) the relative deprivation hypothesis (iii) the negative identity hypothesis provide a better understanding about terrorism in Pakistan.
In view of these theoretical assumptions it is suggested that for fair and square fight against terrorism government should try to curb the root causes of this nuisance alleviating sufferings of common people by providing them equal opportunities to all the land resources and basic human rights regardless their national identity and political affiliation.
