I agree, those police jawans who went in deserve our respect....this was a failure of police leadership just like their was a failure of leadership when over a 100 army soldiers including a colonel surrendered in front of the taliban in 2007 in South Waziristan.
One thing to note is that it was the "good taliban" commander who actually betrayed our troops.
Strict disciplinary action was taken because despite the brokered peace between government and the militant commander, the officer did not take extra precautions.
However, we should know that 2007 was the era in which were just about learning to fight.
There were acts of great individual courage on one hand and collective failures on the other.
In many combined actions, paramilitaries were repulsed and military was stranded.
People saw their fellow soldiers being beheaded, burnt etc. while they were isolated in pockets, nearly out of ammo and waiting for reinforcements.
There was this fortification which repeatedly asked for artillery support but could not get it in time and the last request before they were martyred was to shell their own location as they were overwhelmed.
It was really something terrible which the soldiers went through as things were always complicated by the many good militants who were mostly double dealing rascals playing both sides; and yet we tried to run with our shoelaces tied due to such peace deals which mostly impeded our troops and helped the militants.
It has been nearly 10 years now and our military is as well organized and fighting fit as it has ever been in our history; this is something we have gained only after giving a lot of bloody sacrifices in countless engagements.
Perhaps this decade of experience should be utilized and Army should be given a lead in conducting operations here?Once done, then the rest of Punjab; including some folks near Faisalabad whom our beloved Provincial minister Rana Sanaullah is not willing to acknowledge as terrorists.
There is no risk in Army taking the glory because COIN is not a few months project, it takes years after military cleanup to achieve the objectives of lasting peace, stability and development through focused efforts of civil administration.
The police and government shall have an ample opportunity to show their capabilities and win over the nation, once the highly dangerous militants are neutralized by the military.