The foreign hand

Blaming external elements for events that take place in our country has long been a favourite pastime of leaders. Conspiracy theories centred around the notion of the 'foreign hand' follow many major incidents of terrorism or unrest across the country. Most of us have learnt through the years to look at such finger-pointing with at least some degree of scepticism. But in South Waziristan, it appears foreign nationals are genuinely present, working with the Taliban and bolstering them in various ways. As the military continues its advance into the core of the militant stronghold, laying a siege around the town of Srarogha and advancing towards Makeen, it has said some 600 to 800 fighters from countries outside Pakistan are now on the run across the tribal territory following the bombing of key hideouts. A senior military official has been quoted as saying that most of these individuals were Uzbek, though there were also some Chechens and Arabs. Accounts that suggest foreigners from Central Asian countries have been involved in various incidents of terrorism have come in from time to time. The argument goes that they are most likely to be willing to kill innocent children, women and men with little remorse or sense of guilt.

It is a disturbing matter for Pakistan that its territory should have become a point of convergence for militants. The presence of so many foreign militants also allows the US to regularly allege that the top Al Qaeda leadership is indeed based in that stretch of territory lying along the Pak-Afghan border. There is another issue to consider: are our borders really so porous that hundreds of people can enter, presumably without check, and conduct activities that threaten the safety of our country from within it? Where does the route of entry lie? Did the fighters from Central Asia all come in via Afghanistan or are there also other channels that allow them entry to our north? This is also a matter to be taken up with the governments of these countries and with Kabul. The kind of terrorism we encounter today needs to be dealt with in cooperation with our neighbours and indeed other nations affected by it. The authorities in Uzbekistan and elsewhere need also to stop the recruitment of militants and their travel across frontiers. They must detect how and why this happens. A wide-ranging effort is then needed to check the growth in militancy across the Muslim world. The sooner it begins the greater would be our chances of building a safer country in the near future.