Do you have any ideas on what can be done to empower the people of the nation rather than complaining about not having the high-powered tools to fight terrorists after they have launched an attack?

I, like many other Pakistanis, have spent a lot of time getting pissed off over the sheer number of terrorist attacks within our borders. I have gotten pissed about the “inaction” of the government against the terrorists that cause havoc. I have blown my fuse over the surrender of my home Swat valley to terrorists. I have gotten tired of reading newspapers because every article is about the things that I just mentioned with no way forward. I have stopped watching domestic channels because of the non-stop discussions about what the government is doing wrong.

I have gotten tired of hearing about a “possible foreign hand” when amazingly everything is connected to either al Qaeda, Tehrik-e-Taliban or Baitullah Mehsud. I find it insulting that Pakistan’s military is regularly chastised for it’s supposed links to terrorist organizations, while it continues to suffer the most military and collateral losses in America’s War on Terror. And most of all, I am most pissed at the Americans who have never left own state, much less their country, commenting on how Pakistan deserves everything happening to it, while the KKK, Neo Nazis and street gangs  roam their country outside the reach of justice.

At the same time, I, like many other Pakistanis, have noticed that while the government continues to call this our war, which I firmly believe, they don’t give us any tools to help them fight the battle against terrorism. While every political leader is quick to condemn these attacks, none is ready to come forward with a plan to end the problem forever – because it may alienate potential voters. I have seen that very few domestic channels spend anytime discussing the challenge facing Pakistan and tools that we need to defeat it. I am not talking about the military solution, I am talking about what we, as a nation, can do.

So, I jotted down a few things that can be done almost immediately and other can add to the list.

Make the NADRA database of Computerized National ID Cards available to everyone

The fact that some Afghan national who could not even speak Urdu, rented a house in Marawa 15 days prior the attack, and it didn’t raise any alarm bells, shocks me! How does someone like that not stick out like a sore thumb?

As the government keeps telling us, and many have learned first hand, there are numerous fake ID cards being used to open bank accounts, rent/purchase residential and commercial properties, and many other things. If the NADRA database could be made accessible from any location to check and verify that the ID card that is being used is a valid would be a great first step. Not only would this help to identify the terrorists, it would also help to identify numerous other people involved in illegal activities.

The database should be available to registered individuals that provide proof of identity and legitimate reason for use. Even if this service was made available through local police stations and NADRA centers.

Tell Us Who You Are Looking For

It’s not possible that the Government of Pakistan, Pakistan Army, Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, CIA, FIA, and numerous other police and para-military organizations don’t have a Master list of people that they are looking for. Odds are that they probably have a lot of information about each individual including where they were last seen, what type of work they take to earn money, educational background, what they are suspected of, and maybe even a picture.

If this information was all centralized into a public database of wanted individuals, the people of Pakistan would be able to provide information as to where these individuals might be now. In the age of technology, this could be done via the internet so that anyone around the world would be able to provide information anonymously.

And hey, once a week, put a full page advertisement in the newspaper with photographs of the 10 most wanted people so that the people are part of the solution.

Stop Being Afraid to Tell Us What We Are Facing

When there is a terrorist attack in Pakistan, it’s the citizens of Pakistan that are attacked. Barring a few horrible terrorist attacks on politicians and sports figures, most terrorist attacks are targeted at the Pakistanis that are either innocent citizens or the people that we entrust to defend our property, lives and country.

We hear numerous people condemning the terrorist attacks, but rarely do we see anyone taken to task for security lapses. But the nation is told that there will be an “inquiry” and the results will be shared with the public. I personally don’t recall seeing any member of the government or police forces go on television and tell us why a terrorist attack happened, who carried it out and what the government is going to to do assure that it doesn’t happen again. That doesn’t happen. Instead, we get excuses about why the government can’t tell Pakistanis what we are facing. If it’s our war, then make it clear to us who were are fighting, who their leaders are, where are they based and what their tactics are, we, as citizens, become more aware of the people around us and their behavior. Thereby, we are better able to help the security forces to control the extremism and terrorism problems in Pakistan.

Enlist the Mosques

Like every Muslim country around the world, every Friday our mosques are packed with people offering their Jumma prayers. It is the only time in the week that the Iman (Leader) of the Mosque addresses those who pray with him. Use this time to educate people that these people who are doing these things are not part of our religion. Use them to help identify new people in the congregation that were not there in previous weeks, people that may have been missing for a few weeks, and people that have erratic or odd behavior. It is no secret that there are mosques in every neighborhood in Pakistan and they are the congregating point on Friday for all the people that live in the area.

Most importantly, give the people anonymous ways to report verifiable information (with safeguards in check to avoid vendettas and random crank information).

Build Rehabilitation Centers

The Saudis have developed a fantastic model for the rehabilitation of individuals involved in extremist, anti-state or terrorist activities. The Saudi government has sent up a rehabilitation center in Riyadh to bring individuals that have been part of anti-state and terrorist groups into mainstream society, rather than locking them up and throwing away the key.

Pakistan needs to follow suit.

Get the Tools and Training Our Security Forces Need

The Government of Pakistan needs to start seriously training the police as a first line of defense against these attacks. Our police are using weapons that are like rocks compared to firepower the terrorists have. Their selection is based on who they know, rather than their fitness for the job. Look around the city or village that you live in, do you think that the police that you see would be able to chase you down, either in a vehicle or on foot?

When the Government inducts anyone into the provincial police force, there should be a 6 month Criminology course that must be passed by all recruits. The criminology course would be used to educate the new inductees about the laws of Pakistan and how to enforce them with politeness and knowledge. This can also provide the basis of how police work is done, from securing a crime scene to interviewing witnesses. This must be done because most of the police on the streets don’t know the laws nor how to enforce them.

Give them the proper tools to be able to do their jobs. Standard uniforms with badges and identification are a requirement. If we can’t tell who we are speaking to, then we are unable to trust the transparency of the police. Give them modern weapons and plenty of ammunition so that they can fight the people that are terrorizing us. Setup police shooting ranges and demand that monthly a minimum number of hours are spent improving their ability to use a weapon correctly.

De-Weaponize Pakistan

It’s very difficult to know who the terrorists are when they have the same weapons and clothing as the body guards of political operatives. It’s also impossible to make a police force accountable for security when the population feels that it needs to arm itself. This weakens the power of the police. It is their job to protect the people of Pakistan. Please de-weaponize Pakistan for the nation’s sake.

Do you have any ideas on what can be done to empower the people of the nation rather than complaining about not having the high-powered tools to fight terrorists after they have launched an attack?