When thinking of terrorist hideouts in the northern areas, we often imagine caves in the mountains with brightly burning bonfires around which the militants sit huddled against the cold while hatching the latest scheme against the country. That image could not be any further from the truth, and the TTP’s decision to launch their own website is testament to this fact. Alongside the regular coverage they get through television, print and online media, they now have their very own platform to say what they want, when they want. Their views against the army, the government and the people of Pakistan in general are there for all to see, a click away.
No government in their right mind would ever hand a tool of propaganda to the enemy, which can be used to malign all that the country stands for, and blatantly misinform the people into supporting their cause. Pictures and videos of alleged atrocities by the government and the security forces will not only make people sympathetic to their cause, but can also be used as an indirect tool for recruitment.
The irony is that Youtube was deemed inappropriate for the public because of a video that was seen as propagating hate speech (thousands of miles away), and the people that actively transmit hate speech and even go as far as attack portions of the public are allowed to express their beliefs. Not only that, the government not only recognises their voice, it enters into dialogue with them, and is giving into their demands. The regimes unwavering determination to do this is almost irreconcilable with the TTP’s steadfast and self-righteous proclamations of who they deem to be the enemy, and just what they plan to do to them. The modernization of terrorism is another irony that cannot be missed, because the terrorists employ modern techniques to fight against society’s modern elements. Selective fundamentalism is working well for the terrorists, it seems.
It is unclear what the government plans to do, now that the website is up and running. People like Imran Khan were up for opening an office of the Taliban to facilitate the dialogue process and the website does have details of what the TTP feels should be put on the negotiation table. But to any sane individual, a website that is openly issuing threats to kill people they think are not worthy to live is appalling, and the government should ensure that it is taken down at once.