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On the sidelines of Lal Masjid violent threats were heard from the scenic valley of Swat in North West Frontier Province by a cleric on his illegal FM station. After causalities and protests in Swat, the Army has been moved to Swat. Amidst all this, academic Khadim Hussain seeks to analyze this particular crisis and offers solutions in our July 2007 individu-spotlight.We would like to thank Mr. Khadim Hussain for his time. As always, feedback will be most welcome. Given the urgency of the situation, we have uploaded the spotlight earlier this month.
Good analysis! Plz read the article of Dr. Shahid masood also in daily jang of July, 13, 2007. Regards and keep these views coming
The usually peaceful and scenic valley Swat in the North West Frontier Province has been in the grip of bomb blasts and suicide attacks for quite some time now. While tanks, armored cars and heavy artillery of Pakistan army rolled into the valley to curb militancy, the common people of Swat seemed to be initially stunned because of something absolutely unusual and unnatural for them. Responding promptly to the situation, socio-political activists of the area under the banner of Swat Participatory Council geared up their efforts. Members of Swat Press Club joined hands with the activists later on. After a series of consultative meetings, the activists and Swat Press Club agreed to call a representative Jirga (the mechanism of a consultative process traditionally used as an effective instrument for conflict resolution in this part of the world) of the opinion makers and representatives of a cross section of population of the valley.
Elected representatives, social activists, representatives of political parties, trade unions, religious scholars, media, academia, representatives of lawyers and doctors, students leaders, representatives of the defunct Tahreek-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi and traditional elders turned up on July 15, 2007 to hold deliberations in Swat Press Club in order to debate root causes of the current situation. The Jirga also intended to find ways to save the innocent people of Swat from the apparent bloodbath. This scribe was fortunate to have been allowed to participate as an observer in the consultations, which might probably decide the fate of this beautiful valley. This scribe would attempt to describe the main themes which emerged as a result of the consultations in the representative Jirga in the following paragraphs.
Themes of the Jirga
The Jirga was unanimous in condemning the recent attacks on security forces by unknown people. Suicide attacks, according to the members of Jirga, had never been observed in this valley before. The members were curious to know where from the suicide bombers all of a sudden appeared in the valley. If the suicide bombers had been here in the mountains getting military training since long, the members observed, then how could these militants hide themselves from secret and security agencies. Some of the members of the Jirga were of the opinion that the present situation in the valley might have been resulted due to an international trade and power game. This is to be recalled here that Swat and adjacent valleys are situated geographically in the midst of China, Central Asia and warm waters. Karakorum Highway passes through a valley just beside Swat. Another highway to Central Asia is planned to be constructed via Chakadara, district Dir. Both of these highways converge in the valley Swat. Keeping this strategic location of the valley, some members of the Jirga observed that the militant cleric Maulana Fazlullah and his FM radio was not an issue of that scale.
The Jirga was also unanimous in condemning all those clerics who deliver hate-speeches on FM radio. The members thought that the clerics had been instrumental in giving excuse to the government to send troops in the area which resulted in all this chaos and loss of the innocent people in Swat. The members suggested that the religious scholars participating in the Jirga should use their pulpits to discourage the militants who had been misinterpreting religion. Some members also suggested that a research committee should be set up to find out the root causes of whatever unusual was happening in the valley. Some members also pointed out that the issue of militancy and resultant militarism might have been caused by some other factors like socio-economic disparities, deprivations of the people living in Swat valley, depletion of natural resources of the area, judicial system and abject poverty across the valley.
The Jirga also observed that the people of Swat had never been in favour of any kind of militancy. The members thought it to be an imposed factor. Some members observed that if there were trained militants in the valley, the Jirga was prepared to find out a solution of the issue and so there was no need of a military operation. Some members suggested that the members should take out a procession of white flags in every nook and corner of the valley to give a message of peace and to end both militancy and militarism.
One of the provincial ministers elected from the area extended an offer by the chief minister of N.W.F.P to hold a meeting with the Jirga to discuss the current situation in Swat. The Jirga suggested that the elected representatives of the area should see the chief minister and apprise him of the feelings and opinions of the Jirga.
The Jirga concluded with an agreed upon agenda. It was decided that the present Jirga would be further extended to have flexible organizational structure. Swat Press Club was announced to be a temporary secretariat to coordinate the activities of the Jirga. The elected representatives of the area participating in the Jirga were asked to convey the feelings of the people of Swat expressed in the Jirga to the chief minister and other relevant quarters. A delegation of the ulema (religious scholars participating in the Jirga) volunteered to meet all those who were blamed for delivering hate-speeches on FM radio. It was also decided in the Jirga that the members would keep a vigilant eye on the activities of all those who might be involved in suspicious activities and would report the person to the Jirga. The Jirga will then decide to handle the person accordingly.
Analysis and conclusion
One may reach some interesting conclusions after participating in the representative Jirga of valley Swat. Firstly, all the members coming from divergent backgrounds had an amazingly similar approach to the problem of militancy and militarism. Secondly, the Jirga revived the traditional mechanism of conflict resolution in the absence of state institutions that have literally become non-functional in the valley, which shows the confidence of the people to handle a complicated situation themselves. Thirdly, the Jirga reinforced the stance by the common masses that they would never allow somebody else’s game to be played on their soil. Fourthly, the Jirga brought the deeper layers of the issues to the surface and in the process transformed their vision into a broader framework. Lastly, the Jirga expressed its commitment to work jointly with state institutions, religious groups and social institutions to debate extremism and find ways and means for the development of a peaceful and prosperous society in Swat.
Thank you, sir:
There are two questions for you at this site:
http://www.individualland.com/blog/wp-trackback.php?p=151
1. Is this loya jirga a spontaneous, democratic response (in terms of Benjamin Barber’’s democratic alternatives to McWorld and Jihad), or initiated from Islamabad?
2. Is this loya jirga authorized to accept aid from the US?
If you can, please comment on my blog.
Weldone to Mr Khadim Hussain for his ecellent work in bringing the opinion of the people who are affected to allof us. One thing I am curious to know andwouldaskpeople top comment on is this- If the people could come together and come up with such positive response on their own, won’t it have been better for the state to interact with this forum before launching the operation ( or moving in troops) to ascertain the actual situation and devise astrategy? Why wasn’t it used? Secondly where doesthe provincialgovt stands in all this? Whois calling the shots here; the federal govt, the provincial govt, the army or the agencies. I was in Swat for a week just before the LalMasjid episode and all was normal. Do we need to remove a cleric and his FM radio by deploying two divisions of troops ,or something else cdouldbe done? Things are not as transparent as some think or believe that to be.
I was one of the participant in swat grand girga.It was really a sucess.It has revived confidence in people themselves.Unfortunately the media did not give it the coverage in true prospective.The media has failed in picturing the right aspirations and emotions of the people of Swat.Khadim hussain has done a great job in presenting the whole proceeding in true perspective.
I was one of the participant in swat grand girga.It was really a sucess.It has revived confidence in people themselves.Khadim hussain has done a great job in presenting the whole proceeding in true perspective.
Dear Baltimoron,
I have been trying for the last three days to post a reply to your questions on Laft Flank but one or other technical problem aborted my efforts always. Here is a reponse to your questions:
1- Yes, most of the socio-political activists pockets in different parts of Pakistan, including Swat, agree with Benjamin Barber that, “Jihad and McWorld undermine the sovereignty of a nation-state, dismantling the democratic institutions that have been their finest achievement without discovering ways to extend democracy either downward to the subnational religious and ethnic entities that now lay claim to people’s loyalty or upward to the international sector in which McWorld’s pop culture and commercial markets operate without sovereign constraints”. These pockets are found in Pakistan among profesionals like lawyers, development workers, academia and media. They have been recently active in creating a movement around the issue of the suspension of the Chief Justice of Pakistan by General Pervaiz Musharraf. The Awami Jirga (not Loya Jirga) could be organized only after consistent efforts by such pockets of socio-political activists in Swat. They are for alternative democratic institutions and for restructuring of state institutions as a result of a process of dialogue with all parties concerned. So there is no question of this Jirga being influenced by Islamabad, though, the activists would want to engage in a dialogue with state institutions of Pakistan as well.
2- Well, I think the activists might want to invest their own resources to sustain the process. Instead of anykind of financial aid, they would want to debate the core issues with international players.
Dear Zarak Khan
Thank you ver much for your encouragement.
You may know well that decisions about the people in this part of the world have always been imposed on the people from above. The masses have to create collective leadership to win their empowerment.
(I hear that the Chief Justice has been reinstated by the full bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan today (Friday, July 21, 2007) in the afternoon. The socio-political activists think it a victory for themselves.)
One of my friends, who lives in Mam Derai, the village of Maulana Fazlullah, and is a political worker, told me just today that when the Maulana wanted to start his FM radio, he called a local Jirga in the village. My friend told me that he opposed the process and then talked to the local administration and officials of the local government. Back then, Maulana Fazlullah was a simple cleric who wanted only to be heard. And after a few years, now the situation seems quite different and more complicated.
Thanks a lot Muhammad Rome.
I am Muhammad Rome from Swat.
If it is not for the reason of identity I request all the commentators to introduce themselves.
I would like to say a few words to Baltimoron. Every society is a complicated network of social relationship. Politically people have plural opinions. The masses in general do get affected by the government policies. Religious fanatics under the umbrella of generals from within and international capital thirsty from out side have made our society a more complicated network. We cannot isolate ourselves from this triangle of fair-weather friends. Our society has made of various layers. In mid of these extremes, there is a “Third Force” as Khadim Hussain calls it. They may be called a “silent majority”. They (we) compose a big portion of our society. They have nothing to do that who is funding whom. The Big Game has put our survival at stake. We need to be understood that we do not belong to the extremes. The extremes may cherish or perish, but a living entity of this part of the world may bleed to death.
The intelligentsia of this third force has shouldered a great responsibility.Khadim hussain has floated the idea of making a linkage among different pockets of intelligentsia.I hope he woud work upon the that. We welcome and appreciate all the interested persons to participate.
Really nice site with nice articles.
I would like to suggest if the army will leave the beautiful area(swat)
every thing will come to normal.
the people of swat are very peaceful and hospitable but now they are not respecting the army.
And I think it is due to Musharaf bad policy.
I really appreciate the research and analysis done by Mr. Khadim hussain who is an intelligent and a “logical” academic. Yes Swat is definately in a grip of tension and fear for quite some time now. According to my immature thinking compared to an academic’s thoughts, i think that the root cause of this situation is our leadership by a tyrant General, who has never been taught to negotiate and compromise but to get things done forcebily. His “made in USA” policies have ruined Pakisan, and now thanks our hypocritical beared cowards ( the muthidda majlis-e- amal) MMA has authorised Mushraff to be the President again. Here i mean the MMA helped him pass the 17th ammendment that states Mushraff can keep dual officed i.e the COAS and the presidency. But i acknowledge the efforts done the people of Swat to keep themselves calm and patient in this catastrophic situation. The idea of conducting a grand jirga will definately work in this situation as Mr. Muhammad Rome says it was a success. Other NWFP and Balochistan areas in which the peace and harmony vanished should adapt the same strategy of holding the grand jirga meetings like held in Swat to cope with the same situation.
sir Khadim Hussain had given an excellent overview of the current situation that is prevailing in Swat. In my opinion if these terrorists are so keen for spreading islam in this way they should go to USA and other countries where vulgarity is much more as compared to pakistan. Islam was never spread by sword. People embraced Islam when they saw the etiquettes, the conduct and deeds of the muslims. these clerics call themselves muslims but in my opinion they have mutilated the muslim traditions. what is the use of saying prayers after killing 10 or 12 innocent people everyday. At least one thing that the government is doing correct these days is trying to kill these so called muslims. some long lasting strategy should be adopted by the government to curb extremeism
Dear Khadin Hussain, I have few Questions
1. Are militancy and militarism troublesome on the same level? Your headline sounds like if there were two unconnected, though both tricky problems. But from what I understood so far, militancy was the source, and militarism the consequence, not?
2. I wonder how the selection process for participation in the Jirga works: Do pople announce their interest? Or are they selected by someone?
3. Who took part on behalf of the TNSM? Not Fazlullah himself, I suppose….
4. An interesting question. I do not want to stress you into an answer – it’s
quite a sensitive theme – but I am of course interested in your opinion on
the army-islamists-link – if you can, I would be glad to hear your statement
on that…
5. Of course, power-game always takes place. But why now
and why in that special manner? I think it will be difficult to impossible
to prove a real link of recent Swati violence to international politics – it
seems at least far more plausible to assume a dimension of national
politics…
6. What is your opinion: will this work out, can one really (sustainably)
discuss with the TNSM?
7. TNSM rose for years – and just now people want to start to fight
it? Sounds somewhat late…
8. Did further action took place up to now? I am quite interested in further
developments…
9. How will the Jirga and state structures work together? Or will they
establish a parallel system circumvening state intervention? Are state
(bureacrats, judicial, military, police) representatives present as members
or observers in Jirga meetings?
10. Really or just on a rhetoric level? Do they really mean the same when they talk about the “same”?
11. do now see a absence of state institutions. I mean: the state – in the
form of military troops – just intensified their presence in Swat, so how
can one say that the state is absent?
12. I agree that a revival of traditional mechanisms can be interesting and
laudable, but nevertheless: is the state real absent or is it really really
present, more than ever?
13. “work jointly with state institutions”? In your second point you stated just
the opposite: So is the state absent and the Jirga takes over – or is the
state present and the Jirga just helps?
I think all those questions come to my mind because I am so far away – but may be you can help me with some answers…
Regards
Swat is a very beautiful palce just like heaven with melodies of waterfalls,beautiful landscaps, mountains and Swat River.Its has heighest Literacy rate in N.W.F.P and history shows that people have never been rgid in facing music western dresses, internet and other modern technologies.
This article very beautifly describes the situations and complications created by extremists in the region of swat.
The Current situation is due to bad political and social system in the country.None of the political party is playing its role in the improvement in the situation.
After the Afghan war some of the Taliban enter the region and they exploited the situation. Islam can,t be imposed on any person. people embaraced islam due to the noble deeds of muslims.
In islam if u kill a person its is equvalent to the killing of a society.islam is a religion of peace.
The educated people of Swat tried to improve the situation in swat but got no result.
some of the people call this as an external factor because at the time of partition some of the area was,t given to pakistan.