Perhaps the only faintest ray of hope one can find in the aftermath of the Data Darbar tragedy is the near-universal condemnation of the attack. Major political parties and civil society groups have always been in the forefront when it comes to remonstration against suicide bombings and other acts of terrorism. But the silence in all this of many religio-political parties has often been deafening, so much so that it has led to speculation that they might tacitly approve of such tactics.

This time round, however, it seems that the affront was much too monstrous to stomach for even those who might share certain ideological links with the insurgents whose mission it is to destabilise Pakistan. The Data Darbar massacre has been condemned by people who do not approve of drone attacks or Pakistan’s partnership with the US in the fight against Taliban-inspired militancy. This is significant in a country as conservative as Pakistan, a land where the opinion of the religious right can mentor public thought. When a leading religious figure says that suicide bombings are unacceptable in Islam — without any qualifiers — we might be taking a step in the right direction. Mindsets have to change here and our religious scholars should go even further to stress that no person or community is ‘worthy of death’ simply because their beliefs differ from those who cannot tolerate divergence of opinion.

This may be the time for our religio-political parties to ponder a key point, a defining moment as it were. The insurgents operating under the umbrella of the Taliban — it doesn’t matter if they are Punjabis or from the northwest frontier — are looking to dismantle a belief system. Their target is not just people of liberal bent or the vast majority that abides by the motto of live and let live. Ultimately they wish to unravel the fabric of society and disempower all those who stand by democratic values. And that group includes the religious parties who contest elections and attempt to contribute to social welfare. The battle lines have been drawn and should be unmistakable to anyone with foresight and a grasp of the reality on the ground.

Equally important is the acknowledgment that the enemy lies within. Pointing to ‘hidden hands’ or foreign forces bent on creating havoc in Pakistan may be convenient for officialdom but does not address root causes. Let there be no doubt: the problem is homegrown. Also, let’s move beyond the myth that ‘terrorists have no religion’. If anything, in our context suicide bombers have been brainwashed into believing that they are more devout than the peaceful majority.