Premature to declare victory in war against terrorism
Gen. Raheel Sharif will be remembered for Operation Zarb-e-Azb that restored the writ of the state in FATA, particularly in the tricky North Waziristan and Khyber Agencies. The two Agencies were considered hornets’ nests by his predecessors and left untouched. Terrorists had used them as launching pads for attacks in major cities of Pakistan while keeping the government engaged in futile talks. The decision to launch the Operation took the government by surprise. Gen Sharif however not only kept the government on board but also allowed it to share credit for the operation. After victories in NWA and Khyber the army decided to destroy the terrorists’ nests outside FATA through IBOs and combing operations. The General’s bold action won him the respect of world leaders. Some of his Pakistani fans demanded the extension of his tenure. Gen. Sharif however stuck to his decision to hang up the gloves on the due date which he had announced in January.
While it was claimed in May that the operation in NWA had achieved its objectives, militants continued to launch sporadic attacks in several agencies. It was therefore premature for Gen Sharif to claim that Operation Zarb-e-Azb had irreversibly eradicated terrorist networks from Fata and the army had reached close to the objective of total elimination of terrorism from Pakistan. Terrorist networks associated with TTP which have taken shelter in Afghan provinces along the Durand Line continue to launch attacks in Pakistan. Their elimination is predicated on better relations between the two countries leading to joint operations against these networks. The goal can be achieved if diplomacy is allowed to play its role.
While dealing with terrorist networks, cherry picking continued under Gen Sharif also. This marred Pakistan’s relations with the US and Afghanistan. Lack of progress on action against those behind Mumbai, Pathankot and Uri attacks contributed partially to worsening of relations with India. The sooner the civilian government regains full control over foreign policy the better for the country’s internal security and peace on the borders.