Pakistan has just witnessed one of its deadliest years in terms of casualties in its long-drawn war against terrorists and insurgents. The reports from multiple security think tanks indicate that around 95% of the violence took place in KP and Balochistan. The figures given by ISPR and independent researchers also don’t vary much, but they do call for a thorough review of policy as they speak for themselves: 521 terrorist attacks; 383 brave soldiers and 355 civilians were martyred while more than 50,000 IBOs were undertaken.

As these fatalities took place away from the political arena in Islamabad, hence they did not even make it to the mainstream media, and a discussion on possibly the most important security challenge seems to be missing completely at a time when it is much needed. Every country that has been an active stakeholder in the war against terrorism has drawn mechanisms to review its strategic calculus. There are public discussions and multiple stakeholders are taken on board to review the policy decisions taken in the past and their impact. The exercise is somehow seen in Pakistan to be either futile or one in which the military would end up getting blamed.

The reality, though, is far from it. These open conversations between the state and society help to create the requisite trust........

© The Friday Times