The Fourth Generation Warfare
is a complex phenomenon. Combating terrorism requires resolve, resilience and
patience as it has to be a long-period war. The much debated and long-awaited
North Waziristan operation, called Zarb-e-Azb was finally launched on June 16,
2014 under the daring and dynamic leadership of Gen Raheel Sharif to fight out
the terrorists hiding in the safe havens and sanctuaries. Sequentially,
Operation Khyber-2 was launched to clear the Agency from the remnants of
miscreants operating in the area. To avoid the chances of collateral damage,
people of North Waziristan had to be temporarily displaced. Within a short span
of one year of launching of Operation Zarb-e-Azb more than 90 % of the set
objectives have been achieved and the operation has now entered in the final
stage. Pakistan Army has once again maintained its tradition of defending the
motherland with the blood of its brave sons by sacrificing 347 officers and
jawans. During the operation more than 2763 terrorists including 218 hard core/
most wanted have been killed, 253 tons of explosives have been recovered and
many explosive producing factories have been destroyed. 18087 weapons of various
calibers including HMG, LMG, sniper rifles, rocket launchers and AK- 47 have
been recovered. At least 837 militants hideouts have been destroyed in North
Waziristan and Khyber agencies. Simultaneously, the scope of operation was
expanded to the urban area throughout Pakistan where over 9000 Intelligence
Based Operations were conducted to dismantle the logistic support and arrest the
facilitators/ abettors of terrorists. Unfortunately, the top leadership of TTP
including Maulvi Fazal Ullah (MFU) is still at large in Afghanistan. Political
and military leadership of Pakistan have had a number of meetings with their
Afghan counterparts demanding handing over of MFU to Pakistan or conduct
surgical operation to eliminate him.
Now that after almost a decade long war against terrorism at a huge cost of over
4000 persons of Law Enforcement Agencies, about 50000 civilian casualties and
enormous economic loss of over 100 billion US$ has entered into final stage,
there is a need to consolidate the gains. The areas cleared by Pakistan Army
need to be gradually handed over to civil administration and FC/police.
Honourable return and settlement of Temporarily Displaces Persons should be
priority one objective of consolidation phase ensuring that theses people
celebrate Eid-Ul-Fitr back home. Civic facilities in the area must be restored
at a quicker pace. Capacity and capability enhancement through advance training
and suitably equipping LEAs should be done immediately so that Army can be
relieved for impending operation in Balochistan to clear the base of China
Pakistan Economic Corridor. However, significant presence of Army must be
maintained in the area to lend confidence to both civil population and civil
administration. Local Lashkars under respective Political Agents should be
raised and equipped to assist LEAs in ensuring peace and security in the area.
Notables and Maliks should be trusted with the responsibility of ensuring peace
at the gross routes level. Intelligence Based Operations must continue to make
sure that the terrorists do not get re-organized and regain foothold in the
cleared areas. LEAs should immediately react to evict/ eliminate the reported
miscreants. Terrorists thrive on foreign support; their chain of funding will
have to be stopped to dry out their logistic tail. Simultaneously, border
management with Afghanistan may be improved to check infiltration/ fall back
from across the Durand Line. Finally and most importantly, FATA should be
brought in the main political stream through a constitutional amendment. It
should either be organized as a separate province or made part of KPK keeping in
view will of the people of FATA preferably through a referendum.
Consolidating the gains of Operation Zarb-e-Azb is very important otherwise the
vicious cycle of gaining and loosing the areas from and to terrorists will
continue. The politicians and civil administration will have to rise above the
materialistic approach and assist in resettlement of TDPs and maintaining peace
and stability in the area. Let us hope and pray that sacrifices of our Armed
Forces bear fruit and peace prevails in the war torn area.
(The author is defence and security analyst based in Islamabad)