Waziristan was relatively simpler
Despite some merit in the otherwise exaggerated tales of unconquerable tribes of the north – that the TTP rallied its rank and file with in face of the military operation – it was never going to be too difficult for the armed forces to clear and hold North Waziristan. And, as the operation has shown, intelligence gathering was up to the mark, as was the operational part. Going by news reports, especially after Defence Day, it seems only a matter of time before NW is declared safe and IDPs allowed to return.
But a much harder fight will begin once NW is in the bag. The army, and its agencies, will face a tougher time taking the operation to main cities. And since, as Gen Raheel said the other day, the fight will continue till all forms of terrorism are eliminated, thelashkars and jaishes spread across Punjab and Sindh will have to become fair game. If the military, or the government, was counting on the operation in the badlands to deter militant organisations in the cities, the last few days must have been unpleasant. Saturday was an uncomfortable reminder of how minorities remain vulnerable. An attack on a shrine in Sargodha killed a brigadier and two others, while another typical hit targeted the son of a prominent Shi’a scholar in Karachi, who was killed along with his guard.
Nobody needs reminding, of course, that many of these non-state actors, especially what is now the Punjabi Taliban, were pretty close to the ‘establishment’ for a long, long time. Things changed with the Lal Masjid incident, when the proxies realised that the equation was shifting. Yet, even as it became clear that former assets had turned on their masters, security agencies have been behind the curve when it comes to netting the most prominent, and active, bad guys in big cities. And all this while minorities have borne the brunt of this relationship going sour. No doubt the military realises what needs to be done, and while it has been cleaning NW, it must have made contingency plans for the cities. It will not be long before they are put to action. If Gen Raheel’s promise of going all the way is fulfilled, there may be some hope after all.
