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Majority of tribesmen consider that suicide attacks are the reaction of rulers cruel policies. The rulers have been creating terrorism and terrorists.According to Abbas Rashid of Daily Times, Other than delusional dictators and patronising democrats from distant shores, few have ever doubted that the people of Pakistan are democratically oriented. A large number also shares an ethos that places a premium on Islamic values of universalism, inclusion and brotherhood.
However, given the current context that is characterised by a reign of violence and bloodshed unleashed in the name of religion, it is perhaps useful to be reminded of the basics. The 'Islam-pasand' parties, and the term itself is geared to suggest that the others are somehow less enthusiastic in his regard, have found little traction among the people of Pakistan gleaning no more than 5-8 percent of the vote for the most part.
Even in 2002, when elections were manipulated in favour of the MMA because General Musharraf sought to exclude the mainstream parties from the political process, the MMA could manage only 11 percent of the vote. The party to emerge with the highest number of votes was the PPP, which has often been castigated as irreligious by its opponents and whose adherence to a more tolerant and less rigid view of Islam is perhaps one of the reasons that it has remained popular with the people.
And, given the popular sentiment regarding democracy in Pakistan, it is a bit difficult to comprehend President Musharraf's patronising refrain about democracy not quite being in the context of Pakistan what it is in the West. As he said in a recent interview while in Davos: "Please look at Pakistan from Pakistani eyes...not with the eyes of your misconceived Western views of human rights and democracy'. Whoever else may have a problem with democracy, it is not the people of Pakistan.
A survey on Pakistani public opinion of democracy, Islamist militancy and relations with the US conducted in September last year and reported on earlier this month explores these and related areas in telling ways. The survey was jointly carried out by the United States Institute of Peace and worldpublicopinion.org. Among its limitations, it does not encompass the rural areas. Also it was conducted before the imposition of emergency by President Musharraf and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and, not least, prior to the atta shortages and drastic power cuts that reflect badly on the government's claimed development record. Nevertheless, it suggests some interesting lines of inquiry with regard to popular perceptions and attitudes on issues of great significance for state and society in Pakistan.
Consider, for instance, the fact that when asked about the role of Sharia, a majority says that it is important to live in a country governed by Islamic principles and also that Sharia should play a larger role in Pakistan law. And yet when asked if they would like to see Talibanisation increase a great deal, only 4 percent answered in the affirmative. Even the number of those allowing for a little increase did not go beyond 11 percent.
Similarly, if we juxtapose these responses with the distribution of the popular vote between the politico-religious parties and the mainstream ones, it would appear that by Sharia they mean something other than what the former advocate. Otherwise why not vote for them? Could it be that their central concern is with issues such as justice and equity?
A clearer understanding of this complex issue has serious implications for governance.
A shortsighted approach such as the one being adopted by the caretaker Frontier government is hardly the answer. Reportedly, it has drafted a legislation meant to replace the existing law in the districts of Swat, Chitral and Dir with quasi-religious Sharia law in the provincially administered tribal areas. But this is a political move meant to appease the militants rather than improve the system of justice. Certainly, a caretaker government with less than a month to go before its tenure is up has no moral authority to make such changes in the law and justice system.
And we have been that route before. A system of qazi courts was conceded in Malakand through an ordinance in 1994 as a result of agitation by the TNSM led by Sufi Muhammad, whose son in law Fazlullah is one of the key people responsible for the recent violence in Swat. We cannot go around setting up parallel systems of law, justice and police. The systems in place have to be improved and made to deliver. And it is time to stop the practice of running different parts of the country under different systems.
A matter of concern brought out by the survey is the point of convergence between popular perception regarding militancy and the threat that it poses to Pakistan on the one hand and the US role in the region on the other. 62 percent said Al Qaeda's activities threaten Pakistan and 61 percent thought that the activities of domestic militant groups were also a threat.
Conversely, nearly two-thirds of the respondents expressed doubt that the US could be trusted "to act responsibly in the world" and more than 80 percent said US presence in neighbouring Afghanistan was a threat to Pakistan. And again more than 80 percent agreed that it was a US goal to "weaken and divide the Islamic world".
Similarly, while disapproving of Talibanisation, when asked about their attacks on NATO troops 30 percent approved. In other words while the Taliban model of governance or religious orientation may have gained little favour among the people, their role in defying US or NATO forces meets with approval by a significant number. This is also illustrated by the response to the question of what the government should do if they found out the exact location of Osama Bin Laden. Even in such a situation only 24 percent thought the government should attempt his capture while 39 percent disagreed.
Much more then will have to be done in order to win the battle of hearts and minds without which the threat posed by militancy to Pakistan's interests and integrity cannot be addressed in any comprehensive and sustainable manner.
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