About the Author(s)
Author is a second-year student at the Lahore University of Management Sciences(LUMS), currently pursuing his bachelor’s in economics.
A new military operation is now the talk of the town. The failures and successes of the previous military operations are being debated, discussed, and evaluated. Where the surge in terror got the people worried, questions are being raised, such as, will this beleaguered nation, whose economy, though now showing little signs of recovery, be able to bear a new military operation? Why include them in the national stream if we were to fight them later? All these questions are valid and demand answers from both the politicians and the military establishment. One thing that is being ignored is the need for previous military operations in Pakistan and their results. Let’s stroll down the history lane.
How it all started: Operation Enduring Freedom (2001-2002):
9/11 is where it all started. The American Government, hell-bent on eliminating the Taliban and replacing the regime with the civilian Government, initiated Operation Enduring Freedom. Pakistan getting the coordinates wrong by 7.5 degrees was made a strategic player in the whole game. We gave away our blood, toil, tears, and sweat. The bases came after. This marked the start of a chapter whose every word is drenched with blood, perpetuating the effect by bloating the latter chapters of our history.
Operation Al-Mizan (2002-2006) – South Waziristan:
Operation Enduring Freedom resulted in many militants fleeing to Pakistan, especially to the areas that were once called federally/provincially administered tribal areas. The prevailing anti-American notion made these areas a safe haven for the militants. They, along with the local terrorists, started attacking the Pakistan army in South Waziristan. For example, on June 22, the Al-Qaeda militants attacked and killed Pakistani soldiers near Wanna in South Waziristan. Thus, operation Al-mizan was initiated, but the local support of the Taliban made the operation a difficult one. The situation got more beleaguered around and in Wanna. Operation Kalosha was instigated. Reports indicated that the personnel sent there lacked the required skills required to carry out such an intensive operation. The militants had local support, plus they were at an altitude, making it difficult for the personnel to carry out any activity. This made the Pakistan army sign treaties with the militant group. This led to the shakai agreement between the Government of Pakistan and the Ahmed tribe led by Nek Muhammad. Later, a deal with Baituallah Mehsud was also made, named the Sarorogha Agreement. All the fuss for finally agreeing with what the militant said. Were we successful? No.
Operation Zalzala (2008):
Operation Zalzala was a bit different. This time around, the Pakistan army was supporting a militant all the way along. Mullah Nazir was supported by the army and some factors in the Pakistan government. Mullah Nazir was a bitter rival of Baitullah Mehsud. The enemy of my enemy is a friend, after all. He was later on killed by a drone attack. The real purpose of Operation Zalzala was to clean South Waziristan of the militants, specifically loyal to Baitullah Mehsud. The security situation kept on deteriorating. Baitullah Mehsud and his newly formed Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP) started a brutal attack on security personnel and civilians alike. The whole operation was done relentlessly; hundreds of homes were completely obliterated, thousands of citizens were displaced, and collective punishments were given to the civilians. Baitullah Mehsud wasn’t killed in Operation Zalzala but during a drone strike in 2009. The seed of TTP sewn by Baitullah Mehsud grew into a tree that could only be watered by the blood of the blameless and demurred.
Operation Sher-Dil (2009):
Operation Sher Dil was a relatively successful operation that even got local support. The purpose of this operation was to eradicate militants from the Bajaur agency. Like every other agency, militants were already wreaking havoc in Bajaur. A senior ISI official was killed along with his subordinates in an ambush attack. In 2008, things went south when half of the seventy-two checkpoints were destroyed by the militants. To put an end to this fierce situation, the Pakistan army, on Sep 9, 2008, started Operation Sher-dil. Massive tunnels were discovered, used to store arms, and would act as hiding places.
Operation Rah-e-Haq (2007):
Swat, now the hub of tourism, was once the hub of terrorism. Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM) was the target this time. TNSM aimed at removing the Pakistani Government and enforcing sharia law. They had the controlling power over the local Government and had decisions made forcefully. In 2007, Pakistan started Operation Operation Rah-e-haq. This operation was executed in three phases. In 2007, the military, along with the help of local police, evacuated every public building from the militants and pushed them back into the mountains. In the second phase, during 2008, the military took from TNSM the major area of Swat, and the efforts cleansed the south part to an extent, too. The third phase commenced in 2009. This time it was a simple “shoot-on-sight” business. Like Operation Al-mizan, a peace agreement was sought by both parties. In the Malakand agreement, “The government agreed to implement Islamic law and suspend a military offensive across a large swath of northwest Pakistan on Monday in concessions aimed at pacifying a spreading Taliban insurgency there.” this operation was relatively successful and shouldn’t have ended in an accord because later on, TNSM carried on capturing buildings.
Operation Rah-e-Rast (2007-09):
Swat was once again in need of liberation from terrorism. Religious extremism had warped the beautiful valley. Mullah Fazlullah had linked TNSM and TLP and was elected chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban Swat. TTS didn’t leave any stone unturned in distorting Islam and used that for their advantage. Barber shops were being forcefully closed, girls’ schools were destroyed, and contorted Islam was being shoved down people’s throats. He also avenged his Lal Masjid’s pal Ghazi Abdul Rashid by attacking army checkpoints. Pakistan Army started Operation Rah-e-rast in May 2009 with the aim of capturing or killing Mullah Fazlullah and clearing the area of the militant’s hideout. Mullah Fazlullah fled to Afghanistan and was later killed in a US drone strike. The area was, on the other hand, cleaned of the hideouts.
Operation Rah-e-Nijat (2009):
It is Waziristan again. TTP had risen from the ashes. Ashes here seem slightly exaggerated as they went undercover and shrouded themselves but kept their operation going. In 2009, operation Rah-e-Nijat was initiated. Pakistan army did disrupt the TTP command, but some of them ran to Afghanistan or other agencies where security forces were already conducting military operations, that gave the militants a tough time. Fifteen brigades were transferred from the Indian border to the key areas, indicating the operation’s importance. Though this operation was relatively successful and somehow dismantled the TTP network, the efforts proved to be in vain as TTP went on its way later, wreaking depredation.
Conclusion:
Mistakes are momentarily, but the consequences last for a very long time. Our leaders made mistakes, not foreseeing the consequences. We lost our men. We lost our peace. We lost our children. But, the military operations really hampered the surging terror. The operations strangled and slaughtered the mad horse of terrorism. Do we need another military operation? The answer is affirmative
