Copyright © 2016 by Mohammad Ali Babakhel.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-5245-3314-4

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Rev. date: 12/06/2016

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Dedicated to my loving daughter "Bakhtawar"

CONTENTS

Human Bombs

Cultural Terrorism

Virus Of Extremism

Analysing The Radicalisation Process

Hidden Enemy

Blood And Ink

The Nation State Versus Violent Non-State Actors

Toys Of Violence

Save The Children

Targeted Killings

Security For Leaders

Journalists’ Safety

Rampant Extortion

Under The Shadow Of Violence

Poll Violence Realities

Securing Meetings

Islamic State And Al Qaeda — Spotting The Differences

Under Fire

Campus Security

Challenges To Peace

Change Of Strategy

Escalated Desperation

Targets And Strategy

Between Peace And Extremism

Pains Of Peshawar

Why Repeatedly Charsadda?

Remembering Our Heroes

Sacrifices Of KP Police

The Attack On Shuja Khanzada

The Growing Demand For Private Security

Proactive Nacta

Counterterrorism Framework In Policing

Madressah Reforms

A New Fata

Funding Terrorism

Extremism In Books

A Counter-Narrative

Averse to ethics

Media And Implementation Of NAP

Countering Poisonous Ideologies Through Radio

Implementation Of NAP

Reviewing NAP

Mobilising Community-Based Security

The Role Of Communities In Countering Terrorism

Women And Counterterrorism

Sri Lankan Lesson

Deradicalization: A Cheaper Option?

Beyond Law & Order

Crucial Linkages

Some Solutions

Compensating Civilian Victims Of Terror

Lahore — The Latest Target

Karachi Once Again

Bleeding 2016

PREAMBLE

Owing to geo-strategic dynamics Pakistan is confronted with different forms of extremism and terrorism. However, Afghan war and post 9/11 scenario drastically changed the security indexation.

For decades we either remained in denial or in intense romance with ambiguity hence clarity remained a missing link. However, the gruesome attack on Army Public School Peshawar altogether changed the contours of counter terrorism. Consensus on counter narrative gave birth to "National Action Plan (NAP).

Ongoing onslaught of terrorism added new dynamics to the destructive phase. Pakistan has witnessed ethnic and politically provoked violence in the decades of 60’s and 70’s. However, use of Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs), beheading, targeted killings, extortion and suicide bombing are the innovative byproducts of ongoing war on terror. In such scenario violent non-state actors (VNSA) challenged the state hence state was left with no other option except to employ hard approaches.

Peace a dividend earned by the reformative movements led by Muslim saints was destroyed by the savages. To impose their own agenda the extremists tried to destroy the imprints of peace and inter-faith harmony such phenomenon gave birth to cultural terrorism. To spread anxiety terrorists also carefully knit media strategy. Anonymous terrorism is a type of terrorism where no one claims responsibility hence motivates the media to speculate consequently, spreads panic.

The book primarily highlights push and pulls factors of extremism, changed strategy, targets and desperation of the terrorists, strategy of the law enforcement apparatus, efficacy of National Counter-Terrorism Authority, Madrasah reforms, terrorism financing, counter narrative and role of media in multiplying the effects of terrorism.

The book consists of articles I contributed in leading English dailies Dawn, the express tribune, The Nation and Times".

Mohammad Ali Babakhel PSP

Deputy Inspector General of Police

alibabakhel@hotmail.com

THE grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al Sheikh, recently termed suicide bombers as criminals who will go to hell.

In the 1980s, suicide attacks were restricted to Sri Lanka, Lebanon and Kuwait. According to security expert Robert Pape, from 1980 to 2001 the world witnessed 188 attacks. But in the 1990s, bombers hit many places.

In the post-9/11 scenario suicide terrorism captured worldwide attention. The use of hijacked aircrafts in the 9/11 attacks changed the dynamics of diplomacy, politics and defence.

Suicide bombings require extensive background preparation. The tactic is employed in a situation where a group lacks resources and confronts a mighty enemy. The attackers hit civilians instead of the forces housed in fortified structures.

With one big explosion these organisations earn worldwide publicity and compel society to question the competence of its law enforcement agencies. Suicide terrorism enhances the bargaining strength of those that resort to it. Hugh Barlow, in his book Dead for Good, termed suicide attacks as the new development in the history of ‘martyrdom’, terming it predatory martyrdom.

The frequency of such attacks is high either where a regime is seen as sympathetic to a foreign occupant or a foreign force is directly administering an occupied territory. When an ideology appeals to the psychology of an individual, it facilitates the talent-hunter in conscripting the right man for the right job. The synchronisation of psychology and ideology kills geographical distances. Consequently, Fata has witnessed the influx of Chechens, Arabs, Africans and Uzbeks.

Dehumanisation and justification of the cause are persistently inculcated during extremists’ training. Geographic isolation suits their intense, goal-oriented training. Therefore, administrative reforms in areas where such training takes place reduces breathing space for such organisations. In Pakistan, the recent completion of the Tank-Jandola-Makeen road in South Waziristan is an initiative that will reduce the chance of the area’s utilisation for such sinister purposes.

Among the high-profile people who have been targeted and have survived terrorist attacks are Pervez Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz, Asfandyar Wali, Aftab Sherpao, Sikandar Sherpao, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Ghulam Bilour. Those who have been killed, along with hundreds of innocents, include Benazir Bhutto, Bashir Bilour, Israr Gandapur, Malik Saad and Safwat Ghayur.

To demoralise law enforcement agencies, extremist groups have targeted police and security agencies’ training facilities, including the Punjab Regiment centre in Mardan, the police training college in Hangu, Lahore’s Manawan police academy and a centre in Dera Ismail Khan.

Those planning such attacks have persistently changed strategies and targets. Unpredictability, secrecy, missionary zeal and credible information have empowered them to strike. They have shifted from Fata to the provincially administered tribal areas and settled areas, targeting the army, then the police and then recruits and civilians. The attackers have shuttled between soft and hard targets; public meetings, funerals, hotels, peace jirgas, mosques, imambargahs, churches, Ashura processions, polling stations, police stations, markets and buses can be included in the former category while high-profile individuals, diplomatic missions and sensitive installations represent the latter.

Radical changes in the frequency and technique of attacks have also been witnessed. According to statistics compiled by the website Pakistan Body Count, since 9/11 Pakistan faced 402 suicide attacks, 223 of them in KP alone and 18 in Islamabad itself.

During 2009 Pakistan was badly hit with 90 attacks, the highest-ever in a single year.

In Pakistan, suicide bombing is dominated by males, as opposed to the female suicide squads. In Chechnya, between 2000 and 2005, 43pc of such attacks were carried out by women. Using women attackers offers certain advantages such as extensive media coverage. Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a woman suicide bomber in 1991, while Wafa Idris from Palestine also captured the attention of international media. In Pakistan, the first suicide attack by a woman was carried out in Peshawar in 2007.

The main hurdle in the prevention of suicide terrorism is that the area from where such groups operate is primarily Fata, while the targets are in settled areas. Various legal and administrative systems create hurdles in prevention and investigation. Reforms in Fata and more synchronised coordination between the administrations of the settled and tribal areas will strengthen law enforcement.

Without authentic information, attacks cannot be averted but law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies can reduce their incidence if we keep an eye on recruitment, indoctrination and training of extremist groups, as well as their sources of funding and the technology they use. With synchronised action, it is possible to protect citizens from a violent death.

The writer is a deputy inspector general of the police.

alibabakhel@hotmail.com

Published in daily Dawn

DECEMBER 29, 2013

DESTROYING the imprints of history, culture and tradition can be termed ‘cultural terrorism.’ The recent attacks on cinemas in Peshawar and elsewhere weren’t simply acts of terrorism but also depict the mindset of the attackers: they wish to destroy diversity.

Extremists in this part of the world want to not just snatch away the right to life, but also eliminate culture.

The cinema still attracts poor folk. These attacks affect the country’s dying cinema industry while depriving the working class of an easily accessible form of entertainment. But it’s not just the cinemas. Attacks such as those on the Sri Lankan cricket team, on jirgas, funeral processions, shrines, cultural centres, CD shops and singers are all part of cultural terrorism.

Once, Buner and Dabgari in Peshawar were known for the music that floated through the streets. But since 2006, 175 attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have targeted CD and barber shops. Pashto singer Wazir Khan Afridi, who produced 40 albums, was recently killed in Peshawar. Earlier, popular singers Ghazala Javed and Ayman Udas were killed by their relatives. In 2008, Pashto singer Gulzar Alam was targeted in a gun attack but managed to escape unhurt.

The circle of violence spreads beyond Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and to other spheres of culture and erudition too. Recently, renowned playwright Asghar Nadeem Syed survived a gun attack. Three years ago, the vice-chancellor of the Islamia College University was kidnapped. In 2009, militants attacked Malakand University while in 2010, Dr Farooq, the vice-chancellor of the Swat University and one of the inventors of the Sabaoon component of the de-radicalisation programme was killed by extremists. A dean of Karachi University and a professor of the Gujrat University were also targeted recently.

Until 2008, Swat used to attract thousands of tourists, including foreigners. But the TTP-led insurgency pushed the scenic valley into darkness. The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation’s Malam Jabba ski resort was bombed and the chair lift was also destroyed. There are more than 855 hotels in Swat valley which used to be a source of employment for more than 40,000 people. During the spell of militancy, all were closed. It is estimated that between 2007 and 2009, the hotel industry in Swat valley suffered a loss of some Rs60 billion.

The hotel industry promotes trade, investment and culture but a decade-long spell of terrorism continues to keep visitors away. Across the country, in Peshawar, Islamabad, Karachi and Gwadar, leading hotels have suffered hits. Meanwhile, the killing of foreign mountain climbers in Nanga Parbat was unprecedented; their slaying in such remote heights is a measure of the extremists’ dedication to an unhappy cause.

In Balochistan, Ziarat — the abode of Baba Kharwari and the place where Mohammad Ali Jinnah spent his last days — was also targeted. By hitting the Ziarat Residency, the militants not only badly damaged the building but also brought grief to every Pakistani. Some quarters rightly termed it ideological terrorism. Ziarat is also known as the location of the second-largest juniper forest in the world, and was therefore a tourist destination, too.

Pakistan offers enormous opportunities for religious tourism for Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists. Places like the Buddhist monastic complex of Takht Bahi (Throne of Origins) in Mardan, Katasraj in Chakwal, Shiv Mandir in Umarkot, Gurdwara Panja Sahib and Nankana Sahib in Punjab would attract many visitors.

But shrines and holy places of the Muslims and others have been attacked. Thirty-five died when the shrine of Data Darbar in Lahore was targeted. Militants have targeted the shrines of Sufi Sheikh Nisa Baba and Sheikh Bahadur Baba in Khyber Agency; the tomb of Haji Sahib Tarangzai in Mohmand Agency was captured and converted into the militants’ headquarters. The list is long indeed. All of this has sorely affected the once rich culture of Pakistan.

The sphere of sport has also suffered. The attack on the Sri Lankan team proved a serious blow to cricket in Pakistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board suffered losses to the tune of some $51.22 million due to foreign teams’ refusal to visit the country.

On the first day of 2010, in Lakki Marwat, a suicide attack on a volleyball match killed 105 people. The attack was a message for young men to participate not in healthy sports but in extremism.

Education helps bring peace. But by 2012, 758 schools had been destroyed by militants, including 640 schools in just the Malakand Division.

Civil society, the media and the government need to protect the country’s cultural diversity. Festivals, art, music and literary activities will guarantee life and peace. We need urgently to save them.

The writer is a deputy inspector general of the police.

alibabakhel@hotmail.com

Published in daily Dawn- MARCH 20, 2014

THERE is hardly any organised effort to assess the causes of extremism. Certain questions need to be answered. What roles do discrimination and a class-based education system have to play in fanning extremism? What is the nexus between curriculum and extremism? How can communities — particularly women — counter extremism? How does social isolation incubate obscurantism?

Extremism not only fans terrorism but is also a reason for the multiplication of crime. Analysis of murder statistics from Jan 1, 2014 to April 15, 2014 suggests that out of a total of 783 murders in KP, 149 took place due to sudden provocation.

Radicalisation is a by-product of historical events, ideological conflicts and socio-economic and economic deprivation. The prevailing impression that terrorism and other forms of violent extremism can only be tackled by law-enforcement and security agencies is flawed. De-radicalisation requires equally the involvement of academics, researchers, sociologists, anthropologists, the media and clergy.

In the run-up to the 18th Amendment there were expectations that the status of Fata and the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) would be resolved, but this proved to be an unfulfilled hope. Though the 1973 Constitution empowered around 37,000 maliks to vote, ordinary tribal people were kept away from the electoral process, which only served to alienate the common folk. It was only in 1997 that universal adult franchise was extended to the tribal areas.

De-radicalisation is a slow and laborious process.

Other factors that have spurred extremism in Fata and KP include the Afghan jihad; presence of Arabs in the tribal areas; and the values imported by labourers working in the Middle East. During 1973-1997 the maliks remained dominant; as a reaction to the maliks the clergy has emerged as a new challenge. In practice, the mullah and the malik have both maintained the status quo.

An obsolete, elite-centric criminal justice system has also incubated extremism. Before the military operations in Malakand and Fata began, locals were attracted by the alternative speedy justice system introduced by the extremists. The shura — imported from Arab culture — took root and challenged the FCR as well as the jirga. As part of an organised strategy militants attacked jirgas.

Extremism has also fanned cultural terrorism. Targeting the shrines of Sufi Sheikh Nisa Baba and Sheikh Bahadur Baba in Khyber Agency, Ziarat Kaka Sahib, Rehman Baba, Abdul Shakoor Malang Baba, Hazrat Abu Saeed Baba, Mian Umer Baba, Malang Baba and Ajmal Khattak was the outcome of a well-thought-out strategy. The tomb of Haji Sahib Tarangzai in Mohmand Agency was captured and converted into the headquarters of the militants.

Education has been another victim of extremism. The vice-chancellor of Islamia College University was kidnapped in 2010 and remained in captivity for four years. In 2009, militants attacked Malakand University while in 2010, Dr Farooq, the VC of Swat University and one of the inventors of the ‘Sabaoon’ component of the de-radicalisation