Pakistan in Media

Twelve days after the operation kicked off in Lower Dir, ten days after the troops went into Buner and three days after troop movement began in Swat, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has spoken to say ‘enough!’ and declare all-out war against the Taliban.

The battle for Swat is on and the army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, was quoted at the corps commanders’ conference as saying that the army had launched a “decisive operation” to crush the Taliban.

At the other end of the political spectrum, Mian Nawaz Sharif, speaking to Najam Sethi, has said that he is prepared to support the government unconditionally in the larger national interest.

Within the NWFP, the ANP, which was the biggest supporter of the jaw-jaw approach and even threatened to walk out of the coalition at the Centre if President Asif Zardari refused to sign the Nizam-e Adl Regulation, is also on board the war-war strategy now.

Should we be hopeful?

Very cautiously. Here’s why.

Tackling insurgencies that also employ terrorist tactics is never easy. What is happening in Pakistan has deep links with events unfolding in Afghanistan. Add to that fact the problem of a long, porous border, which is virtually impossible to seal, and the situation becomes a nightmare for any army, even one as professional as the Pakistan Army.

Moreover, insurgencies do not lend themselves to neat and clean victories. No one can offer a timeline for when such a conflict could be put to an absolute end, or even how to define “victory” in areas embroiled in such conflicts.

Another problem in tackling insurgencies is the human cost of the conflict. The army is not operating in enemy territory even as it is operating in very hostile conditions. It cannot, unless it is absolutely necessary, blast its way through the area. Even so, the conflict has already resulted in massive human displacement.

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