Impacts of Terrorism on Society

Terrorism in Pakistan is a fast growing phenomenon. Ten years ago what was commonly perceived as a terrorist act is now only a small facet of the wider genus of terrorism. Gun and grenade attacks and arson are things of the past. Now they have been replace with new methods and techniques such as suicide bombing, communal genocide and indiscriminate killings. Terrorist activities have paralyzed the social, cultural and economic life of our society. The state and the society have so far failed to check, through the required level of preparedness, the growth of terrorist activities. The government has no counter terrorism policy and the steps taken by it lack a definite direction. It has targeted more civil liberties than the terrorists. Such actions further aggravate the impacts of terrorism on the society.Terrorism, above everything, jeopardizes the human rights. These rights are necessary for human existence. In all the civilized countries, the promotion of human rights is afforded maximum preference. Terrorist activities violate the rights to life and liberty which is the primary and the most important fundamental right as all other rights stem from it. It has also been protected by the article 9 of the Constitution of Pakistan. Moreover, the counter terrorism measures taken by the government also result in the abuse of power and violation of human rights. Such steps add to the magnitude of fear prevalent in the society. In the Protection of Pakistan Act, for instance, the law enforcement agencies have given the authority to search any house or to detain any person for 90 days without getting a warrant. It is a violation of a right to privacy, liberty, movement and fair trial. The recent suspensions of mobile phone services ordered by the government of Pakistan also demonstrate the downside of counter terrorism measures. The step was taken on the pretext of national security. However, it had adverse effects on the right of free speech and opportunity to do business. Such violations prove to be counterproductive and help the terrorists in achieving their goal i.e., to terrorize the people.Terrorism has badly affected the economy of Pakistan. In this regard, distraction of infrastructure has been the most apparent and widespread loss. Terrorists have attacked the schools, colleges, hotels, public offices and the market places. The most adverse effect of such activities is the fear that they produce among the business community. The past decade has seen a considerable decline in foreign direct investment in Pakistan. It not only contributed to unemployment but also depleted the foreign exchange reserves.Pakistan used to be a major tourism attraction and tourism used to be a major contributor to the economy. However, due to the terrorist activities tourists have ceased to visit Pakistan and therefore, resulting in a considerable economic loss for the country.Moreover, owing to this menace the government is left with no other option but to raise the defense and internal security budget. The money that could have been spent on developing agriculture, education and infrastructure is now a major chunk of public sector development fund is being spent on the security apparatus. This can have serious repercussions for the economy in the longer run.Society is the first target of terrorism as the whole idea of terrorism is about terrorizing it. It instills fear and depression in the society which is magnified when social and cultural events become hard to conduct. Not only it disturbs the society psychologically but also leads to the distrust on the state and the political system. If circumstances remain as such then we can expect that the terrorist may well achieve their basic goal i.e. tearing the very fabric of society which they are a part of.Coming to the solutions of this menace, there are several short and long term measures that could be taken by the state. Among the short term measures, the first one is tough anti-terrorism laws. Until recently, The Anti-terrorism Act (ATA 1997) dealt with the terrorist activities. However, given the complexities of this menace, it had become outdated. It had no provisions to penalize the possession of explosives and also it did not cover the subject of recruitment and training the terrorists compelling the law enforcement agencies to resort to extra-judicial measures. However, The Protection of Pakistan Act recently passed by the legislature caters to the discrepancies of the previous acts but it too has raised concerns regarding the abuse of power on part of the security officials.The government will also have to establish a qualified investigation and prosecution agency in order to deal with this problem in an effective and efficient manner. In the presence of such an agency the terrorists shall not be set free on legal grounds as has happened in the past. Moreover, the coordination among the law enforcement agency is also necessary in order to curb terrorism. The government must establish a central coordination organization in this regard to oversee and coordinate the tasks performed by various agencies.Police is the most important tool in this regard. Better policing can help the government in controlling terrorism effectively. In spite of building an altogether new force, the government should introduce reforms in the police department in the form of better training, pay increase and other incentives.The steps discussed in the preceding lines can only make terrorism less effective. However, it cannot be completely eradicated until the government challenges their ideological narrative and also reforms its education system. Hate speech that is so common in Pakistan must be discouraged or even banned through laws. It cannot be controlled until the government introduces some reforms to bring the madressahs in cohesion with the national narrative. Moreover poverty is one of the major tools through which the terrorists recruit. The government must take practical measures to eradicate poverty. Lastly, we will have to change our educational narrative altogether. Learning process of a child starts with text book reading. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, the textbooks conceal facts and promote hate towards other cultures and societies and can never produce unbiased thinking minds. This has to change if we want to eradicate the terrorism from the country.In the end, we must ask ourselves for how long we are prepared to let this carry on. Are we willing to remain inactive and let the perpetrators impose their will? Are we ready to witness the upheaval of a nuclear Pakistan, putting the whole world in danger? Being a nuclear state, we have a responsibility towards the world. This menace was created by us and only we can stop it. No one will do this on our part. It is time that we set our priorities straight and take the bull b its horns. We must realize that if we fail now, there may not be a Pakistan to save at all. What is gone is gone. We cannot bring it back. However we can ensure that our children will live in a peaceful, prosperous, moderate, progressive and tolerant Pakistan.