PTM is accused of receiving funds from foreign intelligence agencies and there is possibility of action against them. The Afghan and Indian intelligence agencies NDS and RAW had on several occasions transferred amounts to the PTM. The funds were apparently given to the PTM from the Indian consulates in Kandahar and Jalalabad in April and May 2018 and the hawala and hundi transmitted from Dubai. The authorities are strong to resolve to end wild extremism in the country. To achieve this object decisions had been taken that about 30,000 seminaries in Pakistan and place them under the control of the education ministry. Essential legislation would be enacted in the parliament in the time limit of the next four to six weeks. In the second stage syllabi of the seminaries would be modernized and new teachers would be appointed. In the last stage, reintegration would be done. This would incur the government approximately Rs2 billion whereas Rs1 billion would be required every year in this context. In this context the clergy had consent on bringing seminaries in mainstream by including the teaching of modern subjects side by side the religious studies. As regards the seminaries syllabus reforms, the hate speech against other faiths would be eliminated. Legal action against the leadership of PTM would be taken. This would not harm others. Every step will be taken according to the law. It must be mentioned here that no one wanted any restlessness at a time when the country had accomplished comparable peace after years of anti-terror drive. This was the first time around the military voiced to the PTM. In the past the army did a little hesitation over the PTM’s complaints and their activities, it never freely expressed towards taking any action. The PTM leadership should reveal that from where they were getting the funds for their known protests. In the beginning the PTM had put three demands namely de-mining of tribal districts, lessening of check posts and recovery of missing persons. Security forces forthwith acted on those demands. The army had created about 48 teams to clear landmines and other unexploded ordnances. Hitherto about 45 percent of the area had been removed of such landmines. About 101 security personnel were martyred during the cleansing operation. The defence officials affirmed that none of Pakistan Air Force’s F-16 fighter jets were missing, and this was also in reports of American and British news publication. The armed forces have to provide security to ameliorate the business atmosphere. The present elected government would not allow any prohibited organization to operate from its soil. Strong elements inside the state appear unmindful of the previous and resolute to repeat factual mistakes that have forced a split between the people and the state that lives deliver services to them. Some of the PTM’s oratory is unintelligent and inflaming. But the PTM as a whole is undoubtedly native and naturally based. It is time for the prime minister to intensify and satisfy the malcontented and disenchanted young of the PTM, whose needs are lawful and constitutional.
The press conference by Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, the Inter-Services Public Relations director general, revealed a great deal of basis and discussed many questions. The ISPR chief gave a great account of himself to the journalists. Communication with the media can be a positive thing for the military as it can encourage openness. Having restored peace to the region, army is a major stakeholder in the former tribal areas. This will change any time soon. It is proper for our military to yield the center phase to citizens. The charges were of serious nature.
The increasing political roles as well as a number of non-military subjects were deliberated. This included seminaries reform that should come under the education department. But worrisome was about the PTM. The PTM leadership in the past has been accused of working on a foreign timetable. The charges of receiving funding from foreign intelligence agencies are exceedingly discomforting. Numbers of ins and outs were given about the group’s true foreign links which was rejected by the PTM leadership. However the allegations must be thoroughly investigated. More worrisome is getting the security establishment right away involved in a subject should be tackled politically and by means of a legal process. Blaming a foreign hand behind the rise of a nationalist movement is an old story which does not help tackle the problem. Prime Minister Imran Khan publicly agreed with the demands of the drive though did not like their leaders’ anti-military campaign. Public doubt is that many Pakistani political leaders have faced charges of being foreign- supported. Popular nationalist movement does not help tackle the fundamental challenge. The civil and military leadership recognizes that there have been true reasons for fury on the part of the tribal population. For approximately forty years the people of KP and former Fata, have experienced not only because of fighting but also due to the carelessness and unconcern shown by the state. The common people have endured most in the war on terror. They have also been the largely the victims in the past. A large number of people were dislocated from their homes for years. The negative state movement can only be knocked, and the use of violence would create destructive propaganda. Pakistan’s security forces brought the former tribal areas into the national schemes. It is absolutely wrong to accuse the security establishment for everything that has gone incorrect in the conflict ripped region. Any trial to repress the protests will only expand estrangement.