Would be a pity to lose initiative at this stage
Operation codenamed Zarb-i-Azb in North Waziristan Agency, which is in its third month, promises to turn out to be the longest drawn out military operation against the terrorists in the country’s history. The destruction of several militant networks operating from what was known as Pakistan’s epicentre of terrorism has caused demoralisation in the TTP ranks and led to several splits in the terrorist organisation. Meanwhile the number of terrorist attacks inside the country has come down considerably. The future of the militancy would depend, to a considerable extent, on the success of the operation. Failure is, therefore, no option.
Compared to earlier operations Rah-i-Haq and Rah-i-Nijat, launched respectively in Swat and South Waziristan, the air force played a major role in Operation Zarb-i- Azb. This explains why there have been a much larger number of casualties among the terrorists, 910 dead compared to 82 soldiers, till September 3. With the terrorists having taken refuge in the thickly forested Shawal Mountains, air actions face problems. The army hopes to keep the terrorists holed up in the mountains till the approaching freezing temperatures and snowfall force the demoralised militants to come down and try to break through the army cordon. Aware of this the terrorists have started attacking army’s strongholds. The attack on Spinwam Fort killing three soldiers on Sunday might be the beginning of the terrorists’ counterattacks.
So far the government has left practically everything to the army, from the military operation to the registration of the IDPs and distributing rations to them. There is a need to start rebuilding the areas which have been freed from the TTP control to ensure an early repatriation of the IDPS. Equally important is to put in place the political administration which is to run the NWA after the military operation. Instead of leaving everything to the army, the government has to undertake its part of the job. Unless it does so it is liable to be accused of having lost initiative.
