In Honor of the Heroes of Swat

In these troubled times, when elected representatives cannot travel to their militancy-hit constituencies, Afzal Khan Lala stands out like a beacon of hope. Despite being targeted a number of times by the Taliban in Swat, he has refused to leave his hometown. He, along with his near and dear ones, continue living and defying the militants. He is a true living hero. His contribution to the cause of democracy itself is commendable. Ever since the start of his political career in 1969 with the Khudai Khidmatgars of Baacha Khan, he has been honored and elected by his constituency a number of times. He was imprisoned in the notorious Hyderabad Jail during the purge against the National Awami Party in 1975. Today, he stands tall against the Taliban in his village, defying every attack of theirs, and risking his and his family’s life in the process.

Farooq Khan, another Swati and younger brother of ANP’s Minister Wajid Ali Khan, was a police inspector in Mingora. He gave his life after deciding to stay back in Swat and not to follow scores of police comrades who had refused to serve the police force in the trouble hit areas. He was said to have received several threats before he was targeted; but he was said to say that he would always stay back and defend his home. He laid down his life while doing just that. Likewise, despite many people leaving their hometowns (including elected representatives), many have stayed back to defend their way of life. These profiles in courage are real life heroes.

All the above facts we have come to know via the media since the last few weeks. However, there are questions that we need to ask ourselves as well. Do we honor them? Do we recognize their sacrifices? Or do we turn a blind eye, and go about our daily routine tasks? Maybe not; maybe we do care, and are not a desensitized people. After all, we take part or support the march of the lawyers in the cause of the judiciary, reflecting the rightful national sentiment for the supremacy of justice. We take part in emotional rallies in support of our Palestinian brethren in Gaza; showing our outrage at the world doing nothing against blatant Israeli aggression. However, did we stage one token protest, one rally, in support of our fellow citizens in Swat? Did we take part in one public gathering denouncing the Taliban and their fascist doctrine in Swat? Did our media conduct one program highlighting the struggle of real life heroes like Afzal Khan Lala against religious extremism? Did our government give one medal to honor such heroes (and I am not talking about the US vice president or Richard Boucher!) Is this conduct becoming of a nation? Do we not feel the plight of the people of Swat? Is this not the same Swat where people from as far as the Punjab used to come and enjoy a scenic vacation; for peace of mind and tranquility? At this time of trouble, do we choose to leave the same fellow citizens high and dry, forgetting their hospitality and warmth? Or are we waiting for the time when the fire reaches our own doorstep; when it becomes our war (if Swat is not our war)? Who are we kidding?

This cycle of self denial has to end. At times, one can draw parallels with the situation that we had in East Pakistan. We can not wait for things to cool down before nipping the problem in the bud. Already the social contract between the state and the people has become non-existent in Swat, where it has now become common for citizens to seek justice in Taliban “courts�. Public representatives are being “summoned� by the Taliban. This has to stop. Curative and preventive measures have to take place simultaneously. The “writ of the state� can only be established if an attempt is made to rewrite the social contract between the people and the state.

On one hand, the military cannot achieve results without the support of common folk across Pakistan. On the other hand, a military only solution will result in a long drawn out war, with dangerous spillover effects on the settled districts and other provinces. Also, it is now known that extremist elements are growing in the backyard of many of our towns and cities, including in Punjab. For once, the civil society needs to mobilize and fight for their homes, along with the state. Both parties need to make an effort and bridge the trust deficit. The government needs to wake up and honor the heroes standing their ground and defending their homes. The security forces need to protect the elected representatives of Swat, and help them getting their constituents mobilized. The state needs to invest heavily in economic reforms as part of the post-Taliban reconstruction effort. Once the relationship between the state and the people is established, mutual respect will develop naturally. Let the soldier feel proud in saluting a civilian public representative; let the civilian representative feel honored by loyalty of the soldier to the people. Let us take this moment of darkness as an opportunity to emerge as a true nation; a glimmer of which we observed in the aftermath of the October 2005 earthquake.