Yes, it is true. "Martyr-making" has become an industry in Pakistan. It has many "producers" and it has many "clients."
Before I describe either the producers or the clients, and their motivations, its useful to explore the notion of 'Martyrdom,' or "shahadat" in Islam.
The Holy Quran extols the virtues of those who lay down their lives in the cause of defending Islam, or fighting oppression under the aegis of an Islamic state. It is indeed the highest calling that one sacrifices his or her own life for the greater wellbeing of others -- a notion well-understood in all nations and religions throughout history. The Holy Quran also lays out highest rewards for those who have attained this level of sacrifice: they are to be recognized by Allah alongside prophets and the most pious, and they get an after-life existence that we are not meant to fully understand (that is, the specifics are somewhat irrelevant). It is imaginable that those achieving this status would be ideal Muslims in their lives leading up to martyrdom.
To state the obvious, the status of martyrdom is related to the person's intention and the circumstances in which they lay down their life. No human being is capable of understanding a third-person's true intentions (although they might be able to analyze the circumstances). Therefore, no human being has the right to declare a person martyr, or otherwise. This is a role solely reserved for Allah Himself.
However, this simple notion has become obscure over time. Many have sought to assign other details which may be mutually contradictory or sometimes border on the absurd. Often you hear about x number of "hoors" (proverbial virgins) who are waiting for these martyrs in heaven. The "x", of course, is a variable factor depending on which mullah you listen to; some of these mullahs have willfully obfuscated the notion of martyrdom by bringing in details that were intentionally left out of the Holy Quran.
And that brings us to the producers of the martyr-making industry.
These producers are of three types: self-proclaimed mullahs, leaders of political parties with a religious bent, and more rarely, government functionaries and leaders. Each of these producers would proclaim that someone has achieved the formal status of a martyr - and thus should be elevated above mere mortals. For all three groups, the motivations are very often political and linked to achieving their own vested interests, including the establishment of their own bonafides as a "leader." These vested interests are driven also by a need to feed the various clients.
The clients of martyrdom - those who receive the proclamations from the three types of producers and then spin them off to justify their own actions - are also of three types: the military, the militant wings of political parties and outright terrorists. It is understandable that the military would use the notion of martyrdom as a motivation for claiming the higher moral ground in a conflict and war. It is equally understandable the militants and terrorists use this as a brainwashing tool to enlist recruits for their own nefarious purposes.
A recent example of this latter usage by militant clients was stunning: A teenage boy, a would-be suicide bomber, was apprehended by authorities in Pakistan. He was wearing a metal plate around his privates, so that his physical ability would be intact after he became a martyr. This would be laughable, if not involving such a deadly serious business. But it exemplifies the collusion between the clients (militants) and producers (mullahs).
Other recent examples of using the martyr-making industry are equally ridiculous. A famous mullah-politician proclaimed that even a dog killed in a drone attack would be a martyr. This has triggered many jokes about dogs heading to Pakistan's tribal areas where drone attacks often occur, as well as about dogs making queries about the number of virgins they will get in heaven. Another mullah-politician proclaimed that a terrorist responsible of killing dozens, if not hundreds, of innocent people is now a martyr because he died in a drone-based missile attack. Again, it would be laughable if it were not linked the lives and families of about 40,000 Pakistanis who died in random suicide attacks over the past decade.
It is not likely that this martyr-making industry is going to stop any time soon, unfortunately. As long as the producers and clients have their personal and vested interested served, the industry will continue unabated.
For an average person, the solution is simple: get educated on the issue. Everyone has access to the ultimate Moral GPS: the Holy Quran. Read it for yourself and make up your mind about where you stand!
