Pakistan as victim & perpetrator: Different takes on terrorism in Asia

The different takes on terrorism heard during the two-day Heart of Asia (HoA) conference, held in Amritsar on December 3 and 4, are a reminder that there is a long way to go before Asian countries agree on not only terrorism, but the conditions that give rise to it.

Whereas India and Afghanistan were on the same page—at least when it came to Pakistan— Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif struck a surprisingly different note. Speaking in Delhi on his way to Amritsar, Zarif attributed terrorism and radicalisation to “the failure of nations of our region to address fundamental needs of the people”. He said this failure is “deep-rooted in our region”, where demagogues exploit it for inciting the younger generation to violence.  He cited “the logic of occupation”—the US interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan—as the other main cause of extremism in the region.

Except for this departure, the HoA conference played to script. “We recognise that terrorism is the biggest threat to peace, stability and cooperation in our region”, the declaration said.

The participants were one in resolve, but not in their view of terrorism and its causes.  

For India, Pakistan is the fount of all terrorism, with which it is synonymous in the popular Indian perception.  Though home to terrorist groups, Pakistan is also a victim. Having spawned these groups, Pakistan is unable to insulate its own people from the predators it has nurtured and let loose in the region. That explains why, despite sympathy for the victims of terrorist strikes there, the Pakistani state, government and military do not evoke support in the wider world when it comes to terrorism.

At the same time, India has not succeeded in its campaign to isolate Pakistan globally, as it had set out to do. The US, which leads the way in this as in other matters, is firm that Pakistan needs to be engaged. Undeniably, without Pakistan’s cooperation in stamping out terrorist groups operating from its soil, terrorism is a daily threat to the region, especially India and Afghanistan.  

Actually, Afghanistan is the battleground where the US, India, Pakistan, China, Russia and Iran have high stakes. With the government’s writ restricted to Kabul, the Taliban have a run of the countryside; and, this Pakistan-supported Taliban is the main obstacle to peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

It is in the recognition of Afghanistan as the Heart of Asia, where all its neighbours and big powers have huge stakes in peace-building, that the HoA—Istanbul Process—was initiated in 2011. The HoA is a forum for dealing with regional issues, especially conflicts and common threats. 

Yet, as in preceding years, India-Pakistan vibes dominated the optics. New Delhi has reason to be pleased that the HoA declaration, for the first time, named Pakistan-based terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. India has reasons to applaud Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who snubbed Pakistan—for its pledge of $ 500 million for reconstruction—and said that but for the sanctuary provided by Pakistan, the Taliban would not last a month. He said what India would have liked to.

Interestingly, the HoA declaration mentions the East Turkistan Islamic Movement as a terrorist outfit. Earlier this year, India had issued visas—later revoked under pressure from Beijing—to Uyghurs and other Chinese dissidents for a conference in India.

The good thing though is that India eschewed hype, such as “Ivy League” and “mothership” of terrorism, and instead emphasised the need for “resolute action” to combat terrorism.   

The author is an independent political and foreign affairs commentator.