Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Policy folly: On the terror attack on a mosque in Pakistan’s Peshawar

Policy folly: On the terror attack on a mosque in Pakistan’s Peshawar

Pakistan needs a paradigm shift (प्रतिमान परिवर्तन) in its approach to terrorism

When the Taliban captured Kabul in August 2021, Imran Khan, then Prime Minister of Pakistan, said Afghanistan had “broken the shackles (restrictions, restraints, constraints, straitjacket) of slavery (गुलामी, बंधन, कैद)”. Pakistan, which had harboured (nurture, foster, cherish, entertain, hold on to, cling to, possess) the Taliban leadership, was largely seen as one of the victors of the Afghan civil war (गृह युद्ध). But the celebratory mood faded as the Taliban’s triumph (victory, win, success) also emboldened (प्रोत्साहित करना, साहस देना) the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Pakistani version of the Sunni (relating to Sunni branch/sect of Islam) Islamist (relating to Islamic fundamentalism) insurgency (विद्रोह). Since then, Pakistan has witnessed (see, observe, notice) a rise in terrorist attacks, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bordering Afghanistan. Monday’s blast in a mosque in Peshawar’s highly fortified (protected, secured, ramparted) Police Line area, claiming (दावा करना, माँग करना) at least 100 lives, was the deadliest in Pakistan in years and a sharp reminder of how its strategy (रणनीति, उपाय) of backing (support, approve of, endorse, favour) the “good Taliban” and fighting the “bad Taliban” has backfired (rebound/boomerang, come back, have an adverse effect). A TTP faction (गुट, विरोध) initially claimed responsibility, but a spokesperson denied any role. This demonstrates the divisions within the group rather than raising doubts about its involvement. The blast bears (have, display, exhibit, show) the hallmarks (distinctive feature, characteristic, trait, attribute, quality) of a TTP attack — it took place in its stronghold (गढ़, किला) and was targeted at security personnel (कर्मचारी वर्ग, विभाग). And no other group has claimed responsibility.

The TTP and the Afghan Taliban may be organisationally different, but they are ideologically (सैद्धांतिक रूप से) brothers. What the TTP wants to do in Pakistan is what the Taliban have managed to do in Afghanistan. After the 2014 Peshawar school bombing, which killed over 150 people, mostly children, the Pakistani Army had cracked down (get tough on, take severe measures against, clamp down on) on the group. But the Afghan Taliban’s return to power changed the dynamics (basic/fundamental cause or force that triggers change within a system) of insurgency in the border region. Mr. Khan adopted (accept, say yes to, agree to) a policy of engagement (involvement, participation, taking part) towards the TTP. The Afghan Taliban hosted (arrange, organize) talks (वार्ता, विचार-विमर्श) between the TTP and Pakistan which led to a ceasefire. But the year-long truce (temporary cessation/suspension (of hostilities); ceasefire, armistice) collapsed in November last year. Many believe that the TTP, which used the ceasefire (युद्धविराम) to rearm (provide with a new supply of weapons) and reorganise itself, is now spreading terror with greater firepower ((military) capacity, ability, strength, muscle). The Peshawar blast has come at a time of continuing political instability (uncertainty, unpredictability, precariousness), with Mr. Khan leading a relentless (sustained, continuous, constant, persistent) campaign (an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group) against the government, Pakistan’s currency tanking (fail, collapse, tumble/plunge, decline (in value rapidly)), its foreign reserves falling (decrease, drop, slump), inflation (simply meaning “cost of living”; increase of price level of goods & services and vice versa decrease of currency value) soaring (increase, rise, escalate suddenly/rapidly) and the power situation remaining grim (distressing, upsetting, worrying, unpleasant, dismal/awful). Unable to pay its debts (liability, financial obligation, borrowed capital), the government is in talks with the IMF for a bailout (an act of providing financial help/support by the outside investors to a bank/institution/organisation which faces serious financial difficulty) package. And now, there is a security challenge. Pakistan should realise that its policy of selectively fighting and selectively harbouring terrorism and extremism (radicalism, fanaticism, dogmatism) has done it more harm than good. It needs a paradigm (model, pattern, case in point) shift in its approach towards terrorism, while, more urgently, amassing (accumulate, collect, gather) its resources and going after the TTP, which is posing (constitute, present, create, cause (a problem or danger or risk)) the biggest internal security threat to the Pakistani state (government).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.folly (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मूर्खता
English Meaning - foolishness, stupidity, madness, irresponsibility, thoughtlessness.

2.paradigm shift (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिमान परिवर्तन
English Meaning - a fundamental and important change with new ideas/thinking.

3.slavery (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गुलामी, बंधन, कैद
English Meaning - captivity, bondage, enslavement.

4.civil war (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गृह युद्ध
English Meaning - a war between organized groups within the same state or country.

5.embolden (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रोत्साहित करना, साहस देना
English Meaning - encourage, motivate; strengthen, fortify.

6.insurgency (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विद्रोह
English Meaning - uprising, revolt, rebellion.

7.claim (verb)

Hindi Meaning - दावा करना, माँग करना
English Meaning - cause the loss of life.

8.strategy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रणनीति, उपाय
English Meaning - plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).

9.faction (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गुट, विरोध
English Meaning - group, side, camp.

10.stronghold (noun)

Hindi Meaning - गढ़, किला
English Meaning - fort, fortress, bulwark, mainstay, support.

11.personnel (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कर्मचारी वर्ग, विभाग
English Meaning - staff, employees, workforce.

12.ideologically (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - सैद्धांतिक रूप से
English Meaning - dogmatically, conventionally; in a method which relates to an ideology.

13.talks (noun)

Hindi Meaning - वार्ता, विचार-विमर्श
English Meaning - discussions, negotiations, deliberation.

14.lead to (verb)

Hindi Meaning - नेतृत्व करने के लिए, में परिणत होना
English Meaning - cause, give rise to, result in, bring about.

15.ceasefire (noun)

Hindi Meaning - युद्धविराम
English Meaning - a negotiated agreement that will be accompanied by other associated commitments to de-escalate the fighting; a temporary stoppage of war, truce, armistice.

16.paradigm (noun)

English Meaning - model, pattern, case in point.

17.shackles (noun)

English Meaning - restrictions, restraints, constraints, straitjacket.

18.harbour (verb)

English Meaning - nurture, foster, cherish, entertain, hold on to, cling to, possess.

19.triumph (noun)

English Meaning - victory, win, success.

20.Sunni (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to Sunni branch/sect of Islam.

21.Islamist (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to Islamic fundamentalism.

22.witness (verb)

English Meaning - see, observe, notice.

23.fortified (adjective)

English Meaning - protected, secured, ramparted.

24.deadliest superlative adjective of deadly (adjective)

English Meaning - fatal, lethal, life-threatening.

25.back (verb)

English Meaning - support, approve of, endorse, favour.

26.backfire (verb)

English Meaning - rebound/boomerang, come back, have an adverse effect.

27.bear (verb)

English Meaning - have, display, exhibit, show.

28.hallmark (noun)

English Meaning - distinctive feature, characteristic, trait, attribute, quality.

29.crack down on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - get tough on, take severe measures against, clamp down on.

30.dynamics (noun)

English Meaning - basic/fundamental cause or force that triggers change within a system.

31.adopt (verb)

English Meaning - accept, say yes to, agree to.

32.engagement (noun)

English Meaning - involvement, participation, taking part.

33.host (verb)

English Meaning - arrange, organize.

34.truce (noun)

English Meaning - temporary cessation/suspension (of hostilities); ceasefire, armistice.

35.rearm (verb)

English Meaning - provide with a new supply of weapons.

36.firepower (noun)

English Meaning - (military) capacity, ability, strength, muscle.

37.instability (noun)

English Meaning - uncertainty, unpredictability, precariousness.

38.relentless (adjective)

English Meaning - sustained, continuous, constant, persistent.

39.campaign (noun)

English Meaning - an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making progress within a specific group.

40.tank (verb)

English Meaning - fail, collapse, tumble/plunge, decline (in value rapidly).

41.tanking (noun)

English Meaning - failure, collapse.

42.foreign reserve or forex (noun)

English Meaning - Foreign exchange. Forex or Foreign exchange reserves are the amounts of assets /money in foreign currencies that a country has in its central bank (in India, it is Reserve bank of India).

43.fall (verb)

English Meaning - decrease, drop, slump.

44.inflation (noun)

English Meaning - simply meaning “cost of living”; increase of price level of goods & services and vice versa decrease of currency value.

45.soar (verb)

English Meaning - increase, rise, escalate suddenly/rapidly.

46.grim (adjective)

English Meaning - distressing, upsetting, worrying, unpleasant, dismal/awful.

47.debt (noun)

English Meaning - liability, financial obligation, borrowed capital.

48.International Monetary Fund (IMF) (noun)

English Meaning - an international organization of 189 countries, headquartered in Washington, D.C., working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world.

49.bailout (noun)

English Meaning - an act of providing financial help/support by the outside investors to a bank/institution/organisation which faces serious financial difficulty.

50.extremism (noun)

English Meaning - radicalism, fanaticism, dogmatism.

51.do more harm than good (phrase)

English Meaning - be more dangerous than useful.

52.amass (verb)

English Meaning - accumulate, collect, gather.

53.pose (verb)

English Meaning - constitute, present, create, cause (a problem or danger or risk).

54.state (noun)

English Meaning - government.