IT is unlikely that clashes at the Al Aqsa mosque between Palestinians and Israeli police will end soon. At the core of the violence lies the Jewish state’s greed for land. The clashes began on Friday, and continued on Saturday. The epicentre of the tension is located in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, where six Palestinian families are facing forceful eviction from their ancestral homes, with the supreme court expected to rule on the decades-old case today.
Unless solved peacefully, the problem could unleash greater Palestinian anger. At Al Aqsa, the presence of Israeli police was itself a provocation, because tens of thousands of Palestinians had gathered to offer prayers. As they fired on the worshippers, Israeli policemen entered the sacred precincts leading to a worsening of the situation. On Friday, many of the over 200 injured Palestinians had to be hospitalised because of their injuries they sustained at the hands of Israeli police who used rubber-coated metal bullets and stun grenades.
In pictures: Hundreds wounded as Israeli forces target Palestinians in weekend of violence
While calls for restraint came from many capitals, one can see an unfortunate difference between what the European Union said and what the reaction from the US was. While the EU declared that “potential evictions” were cause of concern since they were “illegal under international humanitarian law” and called upon the Israeli authorities to “cease these activities and provide adequate permits for legal construction and development of Palestinian communities”, the US State Department merely called for avoiding “steps that exacerbate tensions …” though it evinced concern at the looming eviction.
By avoiding a reference to the illegality of the action by Israel, the US was creating a false equivalence between the Palestinians and Israeli police. Regretfully, hopes for a more realistic US attitude on the Arab-Israeli conflict seem unrealistic. US policy remains wedded to blind support for the Jewish state. The reality is that unless the Democrat administration reverses some of the follies committed by the Trump administration — such moving the US embassy to Jerusalem — tensions will only grow.
Safe havens
THE pull-out of foreign forces from Afghanistan has security ramifications for that country as well as neighbouring states, particularly Pakistan. While Afghanistan was hardly pacified during the decades-long presence of US-led forces, there are genuine concerns that with the withdrawal of the foreign troops, and the collapse of any semblance of order, terrorist groups will find an ideal launching pad for their violent activities. Already there have been recent incidents which have sent up red flags. A soldier was injured when terrorists opened fire in Bajaur district late on Friday from across the border, according to ISPR. The banned TTP is believed to be responsible for the attack. Moreover, a number of troops were martyred and wounded in several recent attacks in KP and Balochistan. While the TTP claimed responsibility for those attacks, the military said they were also carried out from Afghan soil.
While the TTP and Afghan Taliban may have somewhat different ideological views on certain subjects, they are bound together by tribal traditions, the militant code and a similar worldview. Moreover, it is clear that the TTP are taking advantage of safe havens in Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban, in areas beyond the writ of the Kabul government. It appears to be payback for the TTP’s ‘hospitality’ as after the American invasion the Afghan Taliban took refuge in erstwhile Fata, in areas then controlled by Pakistani militants. And while the former tribal belt has largely been cleared of militants, as lawmaker Mohsin Dawar recently pointed out in a letter to the president, fighters are once more regrouping in the merged tribal districts of KP.
The reign of terror that the TTP and those of their ilk unleashed on this country is still quite fresh in the mind. Hardly any part of Pakistan was spared bomb blasts and suicide attacks, and it took far too many precious lives among this country’s soldiers, police officers and civilians to neutralise the terrorist threat. Therefore, the resurgence of militants either in the country or across the border in Afghanistan is a matter of grave concern. Pakistan must exercise its influence with the Afghan Taliban and let them know that allowing the TTP or other anti-Pakistan groups to use space under their control will not be tolerated. This point cannot be emphasised enough, especially considering the fact that foreign forces have begun their exit from Afghanistan. In a recent statement, Pakistan, Russia, China and the US urged both the government in Kabul and the Afghan Taliban not to let their soil be used against any other country. While primarily the onus is on the Taliban to not provide safe havens to terrorist groups, the Kabul government must also do more to ensure the security of the country, and eliminate ungoverned spaces which militants can use to spread havoc in the region.
Important bills
AT last, there is some movement on critical legislation that appeared to have been put on the back-burner. The federal cabinet on Thursday approved the Journalists and Media Protection Bill and the Forced or Involuntary Disappearance (Criminal Law Amendment) Bill, and they will be presented in the National Assembly during its next session. Parliament must make a single-minded effort to ensure that both pieces of legislation are enacted without unnecessary delay. Their passage will send the signal that this country is prepared to address two issues that have long been a blot on its global image and are completely at odds with a democratic system.
Getting to this point, where the bills are ready to be tabled, has been a frustrating process for rights activists and those directly affected by the assault on the rights to freedom of speech and due process. The International Federation of Journalists has ranked Pakistan the fifth most dangerous country for the practice of journalism. According to the organisation, 138 media practitioners here lost their lives in the line of duty between 1990 and 2020. So far this year, three journalists have been murdered in this country, and two injured in attempted assassinations. Early last year, the human rights ministry had drafted a bill hailed by journalists as being comprehensive and offering practical solutions to very real issues faced by the community. However, the cabinet decided to club it with another bill on the subject drafted by the information ministry. Journalists feared that the end result would be a considerably watered-down bill. Hearteningly, though details are still scarce, it appears that the composite draft differs only in minor details. Meanwhile, enforced disappearances that began several years ago in the backwaters of Balochistan and erstwhile Fata on the pretext of fighting terrorists and insurgents have extended to major urban centres, including Islamabad. They even take place in broad daylight. The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances has managed to trace a considerable number of those missing, but has utterly failed in the second part of its mandate, that is, to identify and prosecute those perpetrating these abductions. While the act in itself is illegal because it violates the right to due process, a specific law to criminalise enforced disappearances is sorely needed. At the end of the day though, implementation will make the difference between a law merely on the books, and one that actually protects the citizens.
