Comprising 6,619 square kilometres, South Waziristan is the country’s southernmost tribal agency and the largest in terms of area. Before the Taliban became dominant in 2007, most of the madrassas there were connected to the JUI-F, which is one reason Maulana Fazlur Rehman felt offended by Imran Khan’s rally into the agency recently. This is the original home (Kotkai) of the current chief of the Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud, who is now hiding in North Waziristan and threatening the Shias of Pakistan from Kurram to Karachi, in addition to planning attacks inside the US, as was demonstrated by a Pakistani man arrested for an attempted terror attack at Times Square.
Many Taliban terrorists who killed innocent Pakistanis have been ‘taken out’ by American drones in South Waziristan. Qari Hussain, the notoriously anti-Shia trainer of suicide bombers and a staunch supporter of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) who killed a lot of people, was thus eliminated. Qari Zafar, involved in the suicide attack on the US Consulate in Karachi in 2006, was likewise eliminated in South Waziristan. This was the agency where the ferocious Uzbeks of Tahir Yuldashev were located taking part in killing Pakistani troops and citizens. They are now hiding in North Waziristan and Pakistan needs to punish them for their black deeds.
The Pakistan Army went into South Waziristan as part of a larger strategic move in 2009. Operation Rah-e-Nijat was against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and their extremist allies. It culminated in a major ground-naval-air offensive in October that year. The army has restored the state administrative structures in the agency and has also started some development projects to attract the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by conflict. However, in August this year, the Taliban declared from North Waziristan that they had “chopped off” the heads of seven Pakistani soldiers after attacking a military outpost in South Waziristan that killed 20 soldiers.
There are different reactions to the on-ground developments after air attacks by the Pakistan Air Force in the various tribal locations where the Taliban are active. The Taliban are no doubt interested in encouraging the local population to protest against the army and sends delegations to Islamabad protesting the army operation. Their hold on the local population is based on coercion and savage punishment for disobedience. But the people of Swat, who once obeyed the Taliban out of fear, are today thankful that the army went into Swat and drove the killers out. The same will ultimately be true of South Waziristan and North Waziristan.
The Taliban are now headquartered in North Waziristan. The gains in South Waziristan made by the Pakistan Army will not be complete unless it carries out an operation in North Waziristan to flush out militant sanctuaries. It is from there that most of the attacks on the Pakistan military and the state in general are planned and backed with funds collected through bank robberies and kidnappings in Lahore and Karachi. The army is right — in the face of a lot of criticism by religious parties — in saying that it will attack North Waziristan but at a time of its own choosing.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2012.
COMMENTS (9)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1713853507-0/MalalaHilary-(2)1713853507-0-270x192.webp)
The innings of General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani as the Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan has been full of challenges along with certain pitfalls although so far as the Army Chief of Pakistan he has been quite successful as the head for the work the army in the Islamic Republic has been doing on the Afghan-Pak border especially in South Waziristan. Being critical is as simple as ever to find lacunae or flaws in any work done or work in process. However, the general has carried himself and the Pakistan army with grace and in the manner most needed during such critical period. The task off course is far from over for the Pak-army and as long as the fundamentalists continue to maintain a dominance in the region the challenge shall remain. Innocent people in The Islamic Republic of Pakistan have been killed by religious fundamentalists and organisations like Tehrik-e-Taliban and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) and this cannot continue as every nation and the government is answerable for the lives of their citizens. The past whatever it has been should not be dug at this juncture as it shall not be appropriate and terrorists and religious fundamentalists are not the enemies of any particular nation but the entire mankind. Hence the work that the army of Pakistan is doing is a great service for humanity along with the US support. The outcome of the meeting of the Senate's Standing Committee should be more concrete and comprehensive and a well defined strategy is needed to be framed by the Government of Pakistan to check terrorism for good.
I would just remind that before any operation the establishment must think of the people living in therein. They displaced millions of people from South Waziristan without providing means of livelihood and education. The next generation of South Waziristan would be 100 % illiterate and the extremists would very easily able to use them for their heinous objectives. It looks that the Pakistan establishment is not determine to finish with extremism but rather want to increase it.
Extremiisiom is the outcome of injustice on the part of world powers.Unfortaunately Muslims have no leader who can lead them and unite them so they could combat the contemporary challenges.Army itself is reluctant to take action.They need backing from all sides like religious and political forces.
Shashia murderers. This shows their bias.on the army for not takin on the tal
Todays problems are too complex and Nobody can claim to understand fully. It is always laughable when people having no knowledge or knowledge based on Media information are issuing final statements with allot of confidence and authority. But at the same time security agencies, Military Establishment, Governments are working day and night to understand the issues and even then theey are not confident. Knowledge is a path when a person lacks knowledge he issues statements but when he gather more and more knowledge he develops self Doubt because every additional Information suggests that his understanding was not perfect. If it could have been so simple then USA could not have failed to achieve its Objectives and Nor Osama could have failed to achieve his objectives.
Pakistani armed forces since the start of this War on Terror, do not want to fight against Taliban. But this is USA for which they are sacrificing their lives, money and infrastructure and even Pakistan. Taliban have never been against the ppl of Pakistan, Pakistan itself and the military. You can see the Shamsi Airbase, and some other bases provided to USA for drone attacks. So what we have done, our military was unable to give a strong reply to US from the start till date
Where were these politicians when the Swat operation concluded? Why was development of civilian infrastructure in Swat not made a priority? Similarly, why have these politicians not visited 'their' troops in SWA yet? They want a perfect democracy only when it suits them.
The war is entering into decisive stage. No doubt the Killers using North Waziristan must be Punished but Enemies of Pakistan can use them for their Ulterior Objectives so before any action understanding and Guarantees from USa regarding the end game in Afghanistan must be negotiated. Any vacum in Afghanistan will have devastating repercussions on Pakistan and I am confident our Military Leadership is fully aware of the risks and Opportunities and will not let the nation down as before.