After Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared the start of Operation Azm-i-Istehkam on Saturday, opposition political groups, especially those with a presence in KP, expressed grave worries.
Given that KP has been the most severely affected by terrorism, the worries expressed by these groups made sense, as the local residents were fearful of more violence and displacement in the wake of previous military operations.
In response to these worries, the government provided clarification on Monday when it stated in a statement issued by the PM Office that there will not be any significant mass relocation and that the planned operation will primarily consist of “mopping up” efforts to remove the “remnants” of militant groups. There can be no question that the terrorist danger must be neutralized before it becomes more potent. It is a reality that following almost all prior military operations, insurgent actors have regrouped. Azm-i-Istehkam’s shortcomings must therefore be carefully examined if it is to be a success.
Chinese worries on the necessity of security in Pakistan appear to have had some influence on the new operation. Clear deterrence measures against terrorist organizations are required, regardless of the triggers, but they must be implemented without upsetting local residents’ livelihoods or displacing a large number of people.
The PMO statement from Monday appears to indicate that the state has realized the need of maintaining this equilibrium. The government should keep consulting with all parties involved since it will be challenging to persuade the impacted communities of the operation’s importance without input from all political factions. It is true that operational details are confidential; nevertheless, parliamentarians may be given access to critical information in camera if necessary.
Furthermore, during the past few years, terrorist assaults have resulted in an unacceptable amount of security personnel losses for Pakistan. Five servicemen lost their lives in the most recent incident, which occurred in Kurram last week. Since this is not a normal conflict, the military should think about creating specialized troops that are prepared to oppose the asymmetric tactics used by extremist organizations. The police should be spearheading the battle in the cities through their CT divisions. It is necessary to maintain CT operations in Pakistan in addition to this pressure. And a counteroffensive against extremism will be necessary as the military fights the militants on the battlefield.
As seen by the aftermath of previous military operations, terrorist organizations may resurface under different identities until their support network is entirely destroyed in the nation. While difficult to win, Pakistan must fight the dual wars against extremism and militancy.
