Still more coordination needed
That law enforcement agencies have gone active across the country is welcome. Already scores of terrorists allegedly linked to the Peshawar tragedy have been apprehended, in addition to gathering intelligence revealing designs of more attacks. Just such disruption of the terror network in urban centres was long overdue, and it is sad that it took Peshawar to finally unite the political and military spectrum on the severity that the response now requires. Clearly the bombs and bullets of Zarb-e-Azb are no longer enough. Blowback-proper, as feared, has finally arrived, and so must the intel-intensive phase of the operation now begin.
This phase, as already apparent, will uncover the terrorists’ urban hideouts and sleeper cells. Also, count on information received, soon enough, from interrogation of the hundreds arrested to expose their communication system as well as future plans. Of course, it has the additional benefit of demoralising the enemy. Already on the run from its Fata sanctuary, the degredation of its infrastructure in the bigger cities – where it was planning to centre the blowback – is going to badly affect its ability to continue striking back, even at soft targets.
However, it is important not to be complacent. All political parties, including PTI, have rightly decided to stand by the government in one of the country’s darkest hours. It is now up to the prime minister to ensure his actions back his promises, which he has made on a daily basis since Peshawar. He must realise that the kind of push now undertaken by security agencies cannot be sustained in the long term. Therefore, the leadership must be precise about its objective, so the military, as well as other relevant organs of state, are crystal clear in the nature of their assignment. Nothing less than full implementation of the national action plan will do. Payback time has come for the terrorists. It must be strong and thorough.