Extremism far and wide

Like a weed that spreads rapidly and kills all that existed before, extremism in its most ugly form has reached out from Swat into other places. Its tentacles now seem to be in the process of wrapping themselves around Quetta – a city that during the colonial age and the decades that immediately followed was known as 'Little London' due to its reputation for lively activity.

Today, cafes and restaurants across the city are refusing to serve women. This extraordinary measure was adopted after militants visited the eateries, advising them to exclude women, as eating out with family was not permissible as per Islam. 'Family areas' in some restaurants have since been converted into 'gents only' dining spots. There are also accounts coming in of the harassment of women who do not wear the veil and of threats to the owners of Internet cafes and video shops.

It is not Quetta alone that is affected. Over the last year, Peshawar has seen repeated attacks by militants. The writ of the state seems to have receded even from localities in the very heart of the city. Incidents involving extremist violence have taken place in Karachi, Lahore and other cities as well. It seems obvious that the militant 'victory' in Swat has encouraged similar action in other areas.

Things there indeed seem to be going from bad to worse. The Taliban have now issued a list of 43 people from Swat, mostly ANP politicians and local notables, who they have deemed 'enemies' and ordered to appear before 'Sharia courts' or else 'face action'.

The question is what the authorities are doing to combat this and save a society that stands on the very brink of anarchy. What are the grey areas in government’s policy that need to be addressed so that peace is restored in the country?