Leaders of secular political parties are tugging their ears to stay awake longer in order to ponder over how to walk down to rocky road of parliamentary campaign against their Islamist and Shariah-oriented rivals. They are obsessed that their forced inactive electoral campaign will possibly affect their public prestige and challenge their status as main players in the political sphere in the future political structure. It is highly possible the presence of secular political parties would not be visible at the frontline seats of upcoming parliament unless they find a chance to step out in public and make promises of change. But now all three major Secular Parties---Awami National Party, Pakistan People’s Party, and Mutahida Qawmi Movement---under severe restrictions imposed by the nightmare of Taliban.

Taliban have announced that the supporters of above three political parties are on the list of their targets. Considering the profile of Taliban, leaders of the above parties maintain that militants are not kidding. They will target parties’ members, including their top leaders if they find chance.

The reason is clear. Talibanization is an extremist movement, boomed and developed in the heart of the country. Previously, Taliban’s influence was restricted to tribal areas, but no region inside the country is out of influence as well as target range. Their spectacular attacks on the most barricaded areas and slaughter of security forces on their very headquarter switch the alarm on to everyone who is trying to preach democracy, co-existence, and cultural and religious pluralism.

The alarming sectarian violence, particularly, target killing of Hazaras, the small community in Bluchistan that is a great source of wealth for tolerance and multiculturalism because they have always supported pluralism and never took part in any sectarian clashes, also weaken trust on security establishment. After series of attacks on Hazara community which have left more than 400 dead since the start of 2013,

analysts voice concerns that individuals in military, police or security intelligence are aware of such attacks but neglect to take action, or some of them might be cooperating. Otherwise how it is possible that tons of explosives are loaded on truck and militant drive them miles away to target the community without a single security notice that also in places like Bluchistan where security checkpoints are all over the city.

So, there is not any exact information about to what extent Taliban have influence on security establishment or are there Taliban infiltrators within the establishments? Though turning of forces against their comrades has not been reported yet as occurring in Afghanistan, but it is widely believed that Tahrik-e-Taliban of Pakistan (TTP) enjoy the attention of military commanders. Moreover, the phenomenon of the so-called green on blue is largely related to presence of foreign security forces. It is highly possible that once foreign security forces withdraw from the country, Afghan police and soldiers

may not be instigated to empty the magazine of their weapons to chests of their Afghan colleagues. What I am trying to say is that, however no information at my access for the level of sympathy for radical groups inside the security establishments of Pakistan, Pakistani Taliban enjoy some sort of support from some of the culprits.

Secondly, during recent decades Taliban, generally extremist wings and fronts, have succeeded to develop huge sympathy among public. As I said previously their influence was limited to rural areas or tribal areas where they were supported on religious and tribal lines, but the momentum changed to their favor. They have concentrated on prestige investment in urban areas. They now enjoy huge public sympathy across the country. In most secular cities where women could walk out freely without observing Hijab, now they receive strange look from public or same sex who are trying to convince them to wear Hijab. Putting a glimpse to Hijab observation, the difference from a decade ago can be easily witnessed. While previously, wearing Burqa looked so weird and awkward in cities like Lahore, but now it has become so formal.

Religious leaders hold huge respect than any social layers in the country. It has been decades that religious Madressahs are the most respected and sacred places. Since the start of Jihad against former Soviet Union, Madressahs have been the greatest host for Afghan youngsters where they followed religious studies. For instance Mullah Mohammad Omer, the iconic Afghan Taliban leaders, and several of group’s leaders were also students of those Madressahs.

So, due to unwritten convention, Pakistani rulers never imposed regulation on their activities. There has been no monitoring what these Madressahs are doing? What are their curriculum and syllabus for students? Are they involved in physical training for war or suicide bombing or not? When I was in Pakistan, when a suicide bombing hit people, angry protestors attacked and looted a Madressah where reportedly weapons were found. Such incidents show that militants receive training in such places yet government has accepted this evil due to necessity.

The Jihad of Afghanistan and lasting rivalry with India compelled Pakistani rulers with secular mindset to accept such regressive activities for democracy for the sake of bigger political agenda and necessity of foreign policy. Secular political parties and also parties like Muslim League which however was founded on the line of Shariah but does not support radical interpretation accepted or sometimes helped the growth and development of radical groups. It should be noticed that radical groups during past decades have had cozy relation with Islamabad and never tried to challenge its dominance.

But since the topple of Taliban in Afghanistan and presence of international community security forces to whom Islamabad promised to cooperate and fight against militants, the relation has moved in opposite way. Since then, militants pointed their guns toward the chest of Islamabad rulers very often.

The byproduct of such a change was strategic change in militants’ general policy. Now they want to push much favorable parties to their ideologies in order not to face problems inside the country. So, secular groups are their main targets to restrict their campaign and weaken their political status.