The situation in NWFP is gradually slipping away from the control of government in the face of mounting militant’s attacks in the province and FATA. Amid the fears that the Peshawar too could fall to the militants, authorities have launched an operation in the neighboring Khyber Agency against a militant organization Lashkar-e-Islam (LI), which had established its sway over the agency and was also using it as a launching pad to attack Peshawar.
The photo above shows tanks parked in a Government installation at Hayatabad, Peshawar. Photo by Riaz Anjum at APP
The operation launched against the LI signifies a turning point in the coalition government policy towards FATA and NWFP, initially aimed at pacifying the troubled areas through dialogue despite intense US and NATO pressure.
It is first major military offensive launched in the Khyber Agency in the west of Peshawar, on a key trade route connecting Afghanistan and Pakistan through historic Khyber Pass.
The situation in the other parts of the province and tribal areas is also far from satisfactory and the flames of militancy are spreading in every direction.
The violence is escalating in the scenic tourist resort of Swat, where Awami National Party (ANP) led coalition government of NWFP has signed a 15-points peace deal with the militants on May 21, and attacks on girls’ schools have recorded a surge in the Upper and Lower Dir districts, sharing borders with Swat.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a loose conglomerate of militants fighting the security forces, announced to suspend peace talks with the federal government, citing operation in some areas as a breach of the electoral promises of the ruling coalition.
Earlier, TTP militants kidnapped more than two dozens local ‘amn’ (Peace) Committee members in the Southern district Tank and their bullet ridden bodies were found a day back.
The sectarian clashes in the Kurram and Aurakzai agencies also recorded an increase and government efforts to curb this menace have failed so far.
As the peace talks were progressing at a snail pace, militant’s activities recorded a surge around Peshawar and even police stopped night patrols in the rural circle of the city, after militants attacked one its vehicles and killed three policemen.
LI, which has weed out its rival group Ansarul Islam (AI) from large swaths of territory in Khyber Agency had started to tighten its noose around Peshawar, and in a most bizarre incident they abducted around 16 Christians from the Academy Town area of Peshawar for a brief period.
In the backdrop of these developments, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Ameer Maulana Fazlur Rehman, while speaking in National Assembly cautioned that it was a matter of months until the NWFP was no longer part of the country. Sensing the gravity of situation, the next day prime minister authorized army chief to conduct operations in FATA.
Government was quick to take action against the new wave of violence and fears about the fall of Peshawar, despite the peace overtures with militants, which were going on since the coalition government took over some months back.
At present the government is at the horns of dilemma, as if peace process fails and military action begins against the Taliban, they could again start suicide bombing across the country and Baitullah Mehsood has said that this time the war would be fought in Sindh and Pubjab.
On the other hand if the government did not takes action against the growing militancy, it would result into loss of more territory, as the militants are extending their influence into new horizons.
The political moves made by the government so far have backed fired as it turned over the authority to use force in FATA to army chief, backtracking from the plan announced by prime minister in his maiden speech.
This has pushed the ANP-led NWFP of government into a tight corner, as it came to the power on the name of peace and now badly trapped in the face of growing militancy and politics of peace process and desperately trying to save Swat peace deal at any cost, despite the militants’ somersaults.
The government strategy of tackling militancy through dialogue has fizzled out in the face of growing violence and NATO and Americans pressure for strict actions against the militant hideouts in the tribal areas and to stop the cross border terrorism.
The US has at time attacked targets inside Pakistani territory and on June 10, a US drone killed 12 Pakistani soldiers in Mohmand Agency and now the Afghan President Hamid Karzai is also threatening of pursuing militants inside Pakistani territory.
In reality, the history of peace deals concluded in Waziristan with militants since 2004 and Swat in May 2007 reveal that these deals have been fragile and ended on slight provocations, and that there are no quick fixes to the NWFP quagmire, as it is a result of more than 30 years long Afghan war.
The American presence in the region and multilateral interests have also complicated the issues, while at the same time international community expects Pakistan to rein the rouge elements from crossing into Afghanistan.
ATP Note: While Manzoor Ali Shah has pretty much laid out the current picture of NWFP above, we would like to hear your opinion. Will ‘Carrot and Stick’ work as being touted in the news lately?
I doubt if the current strategy is going to work – by physically securing a land mass it cannot be made safe. The key is to kill the beast… By allowing the culprits a safe passage the state has already accepted defeat.
It is not clear if the local people want Shariah or it is few who want to impose it on the rest. It nevertheless has become an emotional issue more than an intellectual one. Even if Shariah is implemented, what is the guarantee that it will bring food on the table? The problem is economical and political in nature.
It is also not clear why political parties are not allowed to function in FATA – the political vacuum has been filled by the religious parties and as a result these areas have become more polarized… If I remember correctly, once upon a time there was Political Parties Act that was to address this issue.
Carrots and only carrots (and thats only through the mouth) sticks wont work
otherwise it will godforbid turn into a never ending guerilla war and they may be sending bombers to the cities to hurt innocent people for their insecure and selfish cause.
“Sharia” is for insecure people.
Secured people dont need prayers. They work hard and MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Some people only use ‘sharia” to marry more than one woman or to slaughter/behead pakistanis on drug charges and surprizingly same people dont follow “sharia”when they are visiting europe or Las Vegas.
Disclaimer: Above statement is not intended to hurt anybodys feelings but its a food for thoughts.
Bhaio and behno,
I am not a big fan of “Shria” and I think it never worked in history as good as advertised by Mulllah.
But people of FATA and PATA have a desire of “Sharia” so we should implement some normalize form of Sharia in FATA+PATA. Taliban will not be able to play any “Sharia Card” after that.
It is pretty similar as MQM phenomenon. As long as “discrimnation” against Karachi will exist; MQM will play “Karachi Card”. No operation can resolve these kinds of “political problems” but yes some opeartion or use of “force” become necessary sometimes. Like now we need to teach “Batullah ” a lesson.
This thing could never work in the hostile region like Agency. The Afghans and Pathans have a long history regarding the resistance, they would resist everyone that come their way. So the best option would be to let them do what they want to do and ask US to secure border on their side. I don’t get it, if US has so much problem with militants crossing the border into Afghanistan why don’t they deploy army on that border? It is no that long and with the sophisticated technology that they have, they can easily keep an eye on it.
For Usman Kadiri.
I do not know what Sharia will look like today. But I do know what the Taliban stand for. And that IS a bad thing. As for the “glory” days of teh Muslim Empire, nearly nowhere in the glory days was anything remotely like the Taliban shariah was in place. When Islam was progressive and tolerant, it thrived. When it was not, then fitna pasands like the Taliban always got power.
And, please, do not try to miscommunicate the purpose of Pakistan. Do not try to change history. The people (mullahs) who are trying to highjack Pakistan’s meaning today with these naaras were all against Jinnah and against Pakistan when it was being created.
Maudodi, Jamaat-i-Islami, other religious parties, certainly what are now Taliban, they were all anti-Pakistan then and they are all anti-Pakistan today.