16th June 14
Operation Zarb -e- Azb and talks with the TTP
by Syed Haider
Raza Mehdi.
As Operation Zarb – e –Azb, gets under way, it is time to
briefly reflect on why the operation may be the best option, albeit about 3
months late. But with all its negative
serious, tragic and often horrific consequences of an urban nationwide
devastation, and the many innocent loss of life and property in the “operational
zones, who will suffer the “hot winds” of terrorist actions, it is essential
that this now must be militarily fought to its bitter and painful end.
What is even more important is the “re-building” of the
ravaged land of its physical, human, and emotional devastation and
consequences. In this the role of post
war, rehabilitation is CRUCIAL.
Otherwise, like the circular debt, it will raise its hydra heads with
even more viciousness and devastation. And unfortunately the current Federal
Government is the worst possible one could have imagined to do this. So while we sincerely pray that the operation
will succeed, we must think and plan for the post operation phase and have a
governance entity which can do the needful.
Tough times need tough decisions. The NS government cannot do it
.Period.
So why is Operation Zarb-Azb, crucial and essential to give
us a fighting chance of future peace?
Firstly, the TTP wanted breathing space to consolidate their
forces, recover from the degradation of their power, because of the army
operations these last two years. And
remember we are specifically talking of the TTP and its Al Qaeda affiliates and
those who propagate the ISIL and ISIS philosophy and NOT the people of FATA at
large.
This resulted in a significant loss of the TTPs ability to
launch any operation against the Army as they had been doing from 2007 to
2013. But because they were beaten and
pushed into North Waziristan, they are now unhinged and on the back foot.
However they can and will still create havoc by bombing civilian soft targets
in urban cities of Pakistan.
The TTP is our main enemy. The TTP have very cleverly
developed a narrative which weaves Islam, Pakhtunwali, liberation of
Afghanistan, anti US resistance, an Islamic Caliphate, Sharia, and God Knows
where they get their version of the Sharia, anti Shiasm, and of course loot
plunder, money and power into one narrative and attracted various criminal
elements into their fold.
So they also wanted their people freed from jails, they
wanted the summer months to pass without a military operation, because it is
difficult to conduct military operations in the winter, and lastly they
did not want an operation till the bulk
of the US troop departed from Afghanistan, so they had large force into a free
run into Afghanistan.
In a nutshell they used the “talks” presence”, to recover
from their wounds and consolidate their power. Once they would have been ready,
they would have renounced the talks under one pretense or the other and then
wreak such terrible havoc and hell all over Pakistan, as they started to do
with the Karachi airport attack. And
these will now most likely increase.
Their agenda is simple, destabilize the state of Pakistan,
as their partners are doing in other Muslim countries, such as Syria and Iraq,
weaken these countries, grab territory and impose their terrible and horrible
version of our pure faith. In this they are playing right into the hands of the
enemies of Pakistan who fund them through several faces removed.
Lets be clear on one core objective that fuels the anxiety
the world over.
Everybody in the world except Pakistan would love to see a
"de-nuked" and a weak and, God Forbid, the worst case broken up
Pakistan,.
So here we have it as clear as it can be. While many had hoped, perhaps some in genuine
naivety that the talks would end in a genuine peace time has proved that it
hasn’t and will never for the reasons cited above.
So fight we must !!
Hence the view that Operation Zarb-e-Azb is the only answer,
amongst the very limited choices we have and had, and now. .
Today a large part of their “foreign fighters” have left for
Syria and Iraq. Also for the time being
their sources of funding have been significantly reduced as their “financiers”
are now financing ISIL/ISIS in Syrian and Iraq. Hence their resort to
kidnapping for ransom to fund their activities, has risen manifold. This last coupled with the “power struggle”
within the TTP, has brought about the split which we see today.
So we have to fight them, and sooner than later. So those
who still want talks. Take your pick. Now or later. Otherwise Peshawar, then
Nowshera and then Islamabad and so on is on the cards..
And the real difficult question is whether even this
military option will work or not? The jury is out.
But clearly a better chance now for success, than later when
these enemies of Pakistan would become even stronger.