by S.M.
With the recent US-PAK war on terror, the first thing that pops in ones head are the nationally loathed drone attacks. These infamous US operated drones target Al-Qaida and Taliban militants hiding in the tribal areas along the Afghani border. Omar Warraich sums it all up in his article for Time.
Lets be very clear: War on terror is real and drone strikes are effective but at what cost? Lives of innocent civilians can never be an acceptable cost for fight against terrorism and thus I was forced to think what the alternatives might be for this scenario. In order to target terrorist elements hiding in the tribal belt along the Afghan border, we need access to that area. US troops obviously cannot go in that area and Pakistan Army with majority Punjabis would not be seen positively when engaging the terrorist element in that area.
We can also see from the past that proxy wars using militia groups independent from the army has not had favorable results. It turns out to be a question of short-term gain versus a long-term problem. US did this in Nicaragua, Guatemala and Afghanistan and it has came back to haunt them in the end with the proxies going increasingly rogue and volatile. We are now experiencing the same results.
Winning the hearts and minds of the locals is crucial if Pakistan is ever to clear the rugged terrain of Waziristan that has become a sanctuary for different brands of Pakistani Islamic extremists including Afghan insurgents and al-Qaeda elements. Recruiting the locals in Pakistan Army would be a good idea to show the locals that we are not the enemies here.
A huge problem that we might face here is the fact that the minorities (which includes everyone except for Punjabis) have never been interested in joining the army so changing their mindset would be tough. In fact, to some rural minorities the army is sometimes seen as the enemy. An example could be the operations that took place in Baluchistan or the presence of a Punjabi majority army in the northern Waziristan province.
This change in mindset can only be achieved through better schooling and education. Because of a lack of such basic amenities, this is not the case with the tribal areas of Pakistan, so the next best option is to take this military life-style to their homes. In order to understand that lets consider this: Brain is more receptive and open to new ideas at an early age. Why is it that we see so many people from Potohar region opting to join military? It’s mainly because children see their fathers, uncles and older siblings serving in the Army. They get familiarized with a military culture when they’re young and thus find it easier to choose army as a profession.
The biggest factor for Pakistan is not population statistics and the representation of people from a certain area, but rather societal development. Its not only related to financial standing, but also regional, provincial and communal identity. This means that potential jawans recruited from Baluchistan and Waziristan provinces’ are most probably not on equal footing with their Punjabi counterparts. This is why the government should invest in the social infrastructure of the tribal provinces to generate pools of potential candidates. Once admitted in the army, higher numbers of recruits from these areas would mean larger representation of these people. This means that these people will have a say in the national army and they will have a sense of belonging. This will provide a source of alternate profession to the young man who is ultimately going to fall in the hands of terrorist elements and/or become a casualty or collateral damage to the drone strikes.
I am also for starting mandatory training courses for students at an early age. Camps can be set near cantonment areas to guide the locals and inform them about Pakistan Army. This would nurture discipline, patriotism and national pride that are extremely important to tribal regions of Pakistan.
Including more people in Pakistan army from the Waziristan region would also mean a need for slight relaxation of standards in the induction process. Questions can be raised at this but we know the locals from this region are not at an equal playing field with their counterparts from other provinces when it comes to education, health and other basic necessities. We also know that this will not be a big issue since armies can turn relatively unprofessional individuals into fully trained, disciplined and professional soldiers. For example we have the US army, many of its lower ranks are filled with personnel who have barely passed high school but through consistent training and routine, they are able to perform basic tasks required of them.
Asad Munir in his article highlights how Pashtuns have always been in the forefront of wars and jihad and have played an important role in the history of their region. Tribal Pathans are natural warriors and with appropriate training, their increase in number would be a welcome addition to Pakistan army. Their inclusion would also help better integrate the peoples of the Tribal areas into the army and the nation as a whole. Why not incorporate diversity and history that’s been shaped over hundreds if not thousands of years into the Pakistani army while serving a bigger purpose i-e eliminating terrorist elements. The Pakistani army has much to offer them, and I’m certain they have much to offer Pakistan military too.
I think with proper training and discipline, the North Waziristan province has great potential for producing military men. Including them in Pakistan army will give a sense of belonging to the local tribal areas in the war struck region. Locals will look up to the army and see that they are fighting a war for a greater cause and instead of hiding extremists groups causing violence in Pakistan, they will be more inclined to become productive citizens of the state and help eradicate terrorists elements within themselves. More importantly, it will help reduce the need for drone strikes.
