War on Terror
Pakistan: A sustained, determined fight against militancy required
By Huma Yusuf
September 04, 2008
The fact that local tribesmen decided to raise lashkars to expel the Taliban from their villages also deserves a measured response. No doubt, there's something reassuring about learning that Pakistanis directly affected by the militant presence would rather not have the militants around. But tribesmen moved to raising private armies are in some way pointing to the inadequacies of the state. Raising a lashkar is the military equivalent of meting out justice before a jirga rather than in the courts. If we've learnt anything from the curse of parallel justice systems, it's that competing infrastructures lead to increased discontent and fragmentation. Encouraging tribal leaders to take security into their own hands despite the presence of the Army is akin to deferring a problem. Militancy may be curtailed today, but a network of private armies will pose another challenge tomorrow.
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4:16 AM
Moderate Islamist here
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