RAPID successes in the first phase of Operation Khyber IV in Rajgal Valley in Khyber Agency is welcome news. With the capture of a strategic mountaintop by the military, militants have been denied a position from which they can detect, avoid or attack Pakistani security forces. Moreover, the overall goal of creating Pakistani check posts along the border with Afghanistan to interdict militants who attempt to cross over is one step closer to becoming a reality. Once again, the bravery and determination of Pakistani soldiers is moving the country closer towards another important victory in the long fight against militancy. A grateful country acknowledges their sacrifices. The rapid gains in Khyber IV has also highlighted at least two other issues: the overall state of relations with Afghanistan and the pace at which post-operation steps in Fata are proceeding.

Worryingly, instead of Khyber IV creating the possibility of renewed security cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the operation has been used by Kabul to create fresh tensions between the two countries. The Afghan response, denouncing Khyber IV and railing against Pakistan for perceived inaction against Afghan-centric militants, is perplexing. At the very least, Pakistan is securing its own terrain against militants, a goal that Afghanistan surely cannot oppose. And with Khyber IV also aiming at reducing the space for the militant Islamic State group to operate in the region, a common goal of Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries with a stake in peace is being addressed. While Pakistan must not allow the unreasonableness of the Afghan government to slow down or prevent operations that are important to this country’s security, the state here ought to consider fresh means of outreach to the government in Kabul. The overall goal of peace and stability in the region will not be realised without cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

For Fata, the operation marks one of the final milestones in the process of establishing the state’s firm writ over the region. But political and administrative reforms in Fata appear to have stalled, and the process of resettlement of IDPs continues to be drawn out. Fata is a region that has been ravaged by war for more than a decade. It deserves better than the limited and sporadic attention the national leadership has been able to give to a whole spectrum of interventions that the area demands. It was obvious from the first military operation that a militarised approach alone will not bring long-term peace and stability to Fata. As Operation Khyber IV proceeds, the other aspects of long-term stability in Fata ought to be addressed too.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2017