“We Cannot Win This War without Eliminating the Terrorist Sanctuaries in North Waziristan”— Senior Pakistani Journalist

 By Farah Zia

October 21, 2012

The News on Sunday: There are misgivings about Pakistani state’s policy regarding terrorism. Do you think we will see a change in the state’s policy and an outright commitment to bring to an end the terrorism unleashed by the Taliban [as opposed to its support for Afghan Taliban] after the recent attack on Malala Yousufzai?

Zahid Hussain: The barbaric attack on Malala Yousufzai by the Taliban has united the country in outrage. There has been unprecedented show of solidarity with the young girl who bravely stood up against the tyranny and her right to education. The message is clear that the Taliban barbarism is unacceptable to the people of Pakistan.

It is a watershed moment for the country which has been engulfed in militant violence for the past several years, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties and incalculable economic losses. Hundreds of schools have been destroyed. People who do not subscribe to their regressive ideology are brutally murdered. Thousands of soldiers have died fighting the militants in lawless tribal regions and part of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The Malala incident could well be a turning point in Pakistan’s battle against violent extremism and militancy. But our political leadership has failed the people yet again. The paralysis of the state has given space to those who want to impose their ways through barrel of gun.

A major reason for Pakistan’s failure to counter the militant threat and destroy terrorist networks is the lack of political will and absence of a coherent counter terrorism strategy. This is the major reason that incidents like the attack on Malala continue to occur despite military operation in Swat which has driven out the Taliban from the scenic valley.

The civil and military leadership is still reluctant to take decisive action against the militant sanctuaries in North Waziristan which, according to the security officials, serves as the centre of gravity of militancy. The region has become a hub of Pakistani Taliban, Afghan Taliban, al-Qaeda and a host of other militant factions. Most of the recent terrorist attacks in Pakistani cities and security installations are believed to have their roots in North Waziristan.

The long pending military operation in North Waziristan seems to have been put into cold storage again after the National Assembly failed to approve the action. Even some of the moderate mainstream political parties like Tehreek-i-Insaf openly favour negotiations with the militants who are responsible for the killing of thousands of innocent women and children. This policy of appeasement has provided support to the militants.

Unfortunately, the opportunity the unity of people had provided to go all out against the terrorists seems to have been lost because of lack of political will.

TNS: You have talked about political will. Who controls the decision-making and where does the civilian government figure in all this?

ZH: We now have a democratically elected government in place and primarily it is the responsibility for the civilian government to formulate an overarching policy to combat terrorism and militancy. The decision about any action has to be taken by the civilian administration and the parliament. The policy cannot be left to the military leadership. Indeed, the military has a strong say in national security issues but, ultimately, the responsibility lies with the civilian administration. It is almost five years since the present government came into power, but there is no comprehensive approach to deal with the rising religious extremism and militancy which pose existentialist threat to the country. The decision to launch military operation in North Waziristan has to be taken by the government and the parliament.

The battle against militancy, however, cannot be won by military means alone. It is also a political and ideological battle. Unfortunately, we don’t have any concrete strategy in place to defeat militancy.

TNS: Apart from the huge support that Malala has received, there seems an equally strong counter narrative, especially from some political parties, calling it media hype and a set up to launch an attack on North Waziristan. Which of the two ideologies do you think will prevail in the coming times?

ZH: To counter the public outrage, the Taliban supporters launched a smear campaign against Malala. A select group is running a counter narrative, justifying the cowardly act of the Taliban. This counter narrative, created by some religious parties, is aimed at providing ideological space for the Taliban and other militant groups. It is deplorable the way a counter narrative is being built around the gunning down of a young school girl. Some of the mainstream political parties, by their policy of appeasement, are also helping the Taliban gain space.

But I am sure that this regressive narrative will not be able break the unity and resolve of the people of Pakistan against militancy and terrorism. It is now a battle for the soul of Pakistan, the outcome of which will decide which way the country will go. The cause for which young Malala had risked her life will ultimately prevail. The people of Pakistan reject the regressive ideology of Taliban and religious extremists.

TNS: Is the North Waziristan operation imminent? What are the push and pull factors?

ZH: We cannot win this war against militancy without eliminating the terrorist sanctuaries in North Waziristan. The militant bases in the lawless territory not only threaten Pakistan’s own national security, but also regional stability. Any further delay in destroying those terrorist safe havens would be disastrous for the country. But the military operation must accompany a comprehensive strategy for political, economic and social development of the region.

TNS: Before the attack, we were told that Swat was cleared. What do you think is the exact situation in Swat? How long will it take before the civilian institutions will assume their responsibilities?

ZH: The military operation in Swat was successful in breaking the hold of Taliban in the area. The schools are now open and life has started returning to normal. But a major failure is that the civilian authority has yet to be established there. The military can only be used for counter insurgency but, for long term peace, it is necessary to strengthen civilian security agencies and intelligence network.

Nevertheless, the situation in Swat is much better than 2009 when the military operation was carried out. The attack on Malala is a wakeup call for the administration that the battle against militancy is far from over. There is a danger of Swat relapsing into lawlessness that prevailed before 2009, if the remnants of the Taliban are not eliminated.

TNS: Finally, tell us something about the TTP, its strengths and vulnerabilities at the moment?

ZH: The TTP was formed in December 2007 with an agenda to establish a retrogressive rule in the tribal areas. The group had swept almost the entire tribal region and part of KP before the military operations in Swat and South Waziristan were launched in 2009. The military campaigns succeeded in stemming the Taliban offensive, but the threat is far from over.

Despite heavy setback, the TTP is still very much active in the tribal territories and in many parts of KP. The group has the support of some other outlawed militant outfits operating in Punjab. After fleeing from South Waziristan and Swat, the Taliban militants have also taken refuge in Karachi. The Taliban sleeper cells in Karachi and other Pakistani cities present the biggest security nightmare.

The division within the group has, however, depleted the Taliban capacity to launch scale terrorist attacks like Marriot hotel bombing in Islamabad or on FIA office in Lahore in 2009 and 2010.

The interview was conducted via emai. Zahid Hussain is the author of The Relentless Rise of Islamic Militants in Pakistan: The Scorpion’s Tail and Frontline Pakistan: The Struggle with Militant Islam

Source: http://www.facebook.com/notes/the-news-on-sunday/we-cannot-win-this-war-without-eliminating-the-terrorist-sanctuaries-in-north-wa/459043287473000

URL: https://newageislam.com/war-terror/“we-win-this-war-without/d/9154