EVER since the federal government has announced its Azm-i-Istehkam plan against the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other terrorist organisations, the common refrain from the parties in the opposition is that such operations have never succeeded in the past. This statement is not entirely correct. The military operation Rah-i-Haq conducted against the TTP in Swat, when the TTP had taken physical possession of many areas, was quite successful.

Similarly, the Zarb-i-Azb was also quite a successful operation, as the whole geographical areas of North and South Waziristan were freed from the TTP. The part of these operations that perhaps was not very successful, was the part that followed the kinetic operations.

On the ground, our civilian organisations were not ready for the proper hosting of the internally displaced persons, and their proper and timely rehabilitation. Likewise, our organisations did not have the capacity to control religious extremism and radicalisation in the community.

Before starting Azm-i-Istehkam, the government in Islamabad should ensure that the civilian authorities are capable enough to successfully carry out the post-kinetic part of the operation.

This would, indeed, be a pretty tall order, but it is by no means an impossibility.

Akbar Jan Marwat
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2024