By: Sher Zada
Since 1992 Pakistan has been victim of terrorism and atrocity from elements both inside and outside. But the radical frequency of terrorism with which Pakistan gone through boasted after 9/11. Pakistan was pushed in intentionally or intentionally in war against terror, which tendered terrorist mindsets and gave birth to security-phobia an alarming disorder hitting the core chamber of thought process. Foreign pressure caused Pakistan Army to take immediate measures against the hideouts on Pakistani soil and also to support the alliance against the then terrorists and current participants of peace process in Afghanistan. Pakistani military started its military engagements powered by United States military aids, provided access to military bases to US Airforce to invade their enemies in Afghanistan. This rapid decision left darken shadows over internal security diaspora of Pakistan. Law enforcement agencies (LEAs) along with military were kept on alert position, however the challenge of insecurity remained same as before. The eastern border which had has been center of four military scuffles between India and Pakistan, always thought as the strategic line of huge military budget consumption.
While the western border with Afghanistan known as Durane Line has importance for Pakistan due to its strategic connectivity from Central Asia to South Asia. Participation of Pakistan in recent war against terror caused severe threat to Pakistani economy as well as psychosocial challenge to Pakistani society. The domestic level law enforcement engagements by the LEAs have been imprinting negative repercussions in account of missing persons, lifting without tangible public evidences, targeting particular provincial, regional, ethnic community and followers of certain school of thought etc. These repercussions not only grossed criticism over the rule of LEAs but also grew security-phobia in the public. Which has restricted peoples’ movement, expression and civic participation. Forensic victimization of this disorder were extensively increased during the period of 2008-2013 in all over Pakistan. Whereby common masses were physically as well as mentally imprisoned due to overwhelmed pick and go with approach owned by the LEAs in the context of national security. The pick and go with approach was also used by criminal mindsets for looting the well to do business persons, scholars , media persons and other segments of our society, winded the scenario of abduction, ransom target killing etc. There is no doubt that this pick and go with approach was successful in counterterrorism in Pakistan for some reasons. But besides this it encircled public voice to a great extent, media was barred to bring the details of missing persons to the front. However the mayhems did not end till 2017, the year when the issue of missing persons was raised at National Assembly of Pakistan.
In 2018 the episodic emergence of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) fanned the grievances missing persons’ families and achieved their sympathy, the inferno blazed from the remote corner North Waziristan erstwhile FATA. Which was an intended move to defame the image of LEA’s and Pak Army. Foreign media aired and back PTM to strengthen the argument of perpetrators urging issue of missing persons. The embezzlement of this traditional approach has prone the already vulnerable Pakistani society to another apathy called the security-phobia. The county with massive youth bulge of sixty eight percent need an immediate ripple to build their resilience. This could be done in three ways. First the LEA’s and specially the army should lessen the gap between them and public. Secondly the youth should be engaged in sports and cultural entertainments. Thirdly policing and nation building discourses such as civil defense , first aid trainings should be implemented taking in account the culture of all the four provinces including GB and AJK ,instead associating terrorism and insurgency with specific ethnicity or sociocultural background. This way Pakistani society could be taken out from the further negative impacts of security-phobia.
