NAWAF SHARIF'S FUTILE PURSUIT OF APPEASEMENT OF THE PAKISTANI TALIBAN THROUGH INCLUSION IN THE PARLIAMENT

 

Prime Minister Nawaf Sharif has not let go of his vision to include the Pakistani Taliban into government to allow them a voice, in the hopes of ending more than a decade of strife.  

But is his vision feasible? or even possible?

The truth is that most of the Taliban in Pakistan are too radicalized to submit themselves to the rigors of parliamentary process.  In addition, they do not assign any legitimacy to a government that in their view runs contrary to true Muslim belief, whether in the right or in the wrong, and which they wish to supplant with a shari'a system.  

Sharif has even empaneled a four person committee to see that dialogue is initiated and negotiations carried out with the TTP, or Pakistani Taliban.  But the Taliban and Al Qaeda affiliated groups have just gone on a terrorist rampage. 

So why pursue so doggedly such a line?  Sharif's vision is one that has already been tried with the Afghani Taliban with little success.  In Afghanistan, the Taliban has the advantage of knowing that soon a very weak and corrupt government will be left to fend for itself, as the the US troops finally leave the country.  

In Pakistan, conversely, the Taliban has the support of other powerful forces, which complicates any effort to bring the terrorist group to join the Pakistani Parliament.  In fact, Sharif's attempts may just be a strategy to bring the terrorist attacks to a halt temporarily, since any dialogue has as a precondition to stop any terrorist activity and violence. 

Some of the TTP leadership has indicated that they will evaluate the offer made by Sharif. But the successor to the assassinated TTP leader, Mullah Fazlullah, has already ruled out any possibility of peace talks and has blatantly spoken of his will to avenge the slain leader, voiding any interpretation that the TTP will soon give up their terrorist activities. 

But at the heart of Sharif's attempt at bringing the Taliban to peace talks, and including them in the government is the will to change the public's perception that the Pakistani government is unable to curb the Talibani violence, and militant activity. To some, this is nothing more than self serving political maneuvering.

The opposition party, however, is vehemently opposed to Sharif's attempts. To them, any dialogue or concession to the TTP is nothing less than appeasement.

Partial Source; Al Jazeera/ 1.29.14