The decision taken by the Defence Committee of Cabinet (DCC) to launch pre-emptive strikes to put an end to terrorist activities would provide a sense of relief to many. With the terrorists maintaining the momentum of attacks, the common man is haunted by a sense of helplessness. On Wednesday, the terrorists launched yet another attack in Peshawar killing at least eight security personnel. The leadership of the terrorists is widely understood to be concentrated in North Waziristan from where it plans and directs attacks inside Pakistan. It is high time action is taken to dismantle their network. What needs to be done prior to any operation is to collect information about the exact location of the terrorist hideouts. The operation has to be selective. It has to concentrate on groups of terrorists and must not look like an action against an entire Agency, region or tribe. There is a need to use heavy weapons with extreme care, particularly those which target from long distance. Meanwhile, the army would do well to embed Pakistani media reporters during the operation to ensure independent reporting and put an end to unfounded accusations.
There is a need on the part of Pakistan’s allies to help Islamabad at this critical juncture instead of subjecting it to unwarranted pressures. The statements by President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron on Wednesday are welcome. However, these need to be followed by actions that indicate the remarks were not merely perfunctory.
The parliament’s decision to appoint an independent commission to probe the Abbottabad affair must not hang fire. Prime Minister Gilani needs to initiate the process of consultation with the leader of the opposition which has remained stalled despite its urgency. The fact that there is still no unanimity among the security agencies over the exact number of the terrorists who attacked PNS Mehran is yet another indicator of the professional incompetence prevailing in the security sector. The agencies’ performance would improve with the introduction of independent oversight, the appointment of the commission on Abbottabad affair being the first step towards the goal.
