Taliban’s resurgence in Swat and the public’s increased dread

Numerous major protests in the Swat area brought the issue into the limelight and caused friction among the populace over the repatriation of militants of the government’s outlawed group TTP to their native lands, primarily the Matta tehsil. Their reappearance had fueled public panic since numerous residents had reported on their extortion, menaces, and hazards. Furthermore, others attribute the attack on PTI MPA Liaquat Ali Khan, in which he got seriously injured and 3 others died to TTP’s unlawful acts in the region in an attempt to establish their writ in the region. Reports also show that they had established checkpoints and highly armed personnel patrolled the roadways, as was customary in the past.

Although the government is in discussions with the TTP to reach a mutually advantageous resolution for all parties while maintaining national security interests and achieving total and long-term peace in the region however the agenda or discussion points are shrouded in secrecy, and local bodies and residents are not kept in the loop about the negotiating process. In addition, the release of Muslim Khan who is the top commander of TTP earlier this year had made the populace suspicious of the government’s intentions. Any choice made without the consent of locals would have implications, making long-term peace impossible to achieve. Till now the Swat residents have been kept under wraps about this procedure. The public at large is again troubled about the scenario and the ongoing negotiation process between the administration and the TTP. Engaging the local bodies in the talk process would certainly further spoil the situation.

Inhabitants of Swat have suffered considerably as a result of violent extremism in the past years, and they have no desire to go back to a decade earlier, when the writ of the terrorists was present and extortion was common practice to raise funds, not just in the Swat region, but throughout Pakistan. Their actions completely negated their promises to the general public of swift justice, and enforcing Islamic Sharia law, which they used to garner attention, acceptance, and funds proved to be absurd obligations in light of their activities. Now due to such news surfacing, the populace is once again frightened of returning to those times and is protesting to get the government’s attention.

Without engaging with the locals even if the parties reach any conclusion it is still a major concern whether the masses would accept any decision regarding their fate. Also, it is still deluded whether the authorities will consider the views of the locals on such an issue and whether the right to rule will be ceded to the TTP or held by the government. Is there any deal going on under the veils, suspicion on the government battle against militancy and a few other queries are floating in the minds of the general public, but government officials are not taking the people legitimately on this matter? Few social activists and ANP leaders in the local Jirga had expressed considerable worry about the negotiation process and questioned the role of the parliament in this entire process.

Residents would be the most vulnerable to the consequences, regardless of the outcome. As a result, each action made by the government must be acceptable to the people. The government should promptly address the concerns of the local population and interact with the locals to include their input while decision-making. The formation of a committee to address the trust deficit might also aid in the process’s continuation. Overall, the administration must tread carefully, since any wrong decision might aggravate the situation and plunge the public into deeper disorder and instability.