Haq's Musings: Is Pakistan Ready For Long Sustained Anti-Terror Campaign?
The year 2014 in Pakistan began with 27 deadly terrorist attacks in the first 20 days, claiming nearly 200 lives, according to South Asia Terrorism Portal. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for most of the attacks. In response, Pakistan ordered air-strikes against TTP targets in Tirah Valley (Khyber Agency) and Mir Ali (North Waziristan) in FATA. This was the first time in several years that the Pakistan Air Force jets pounded TTP hide-outs.
Source: South Asia Terrorism Portal
While I believe the air-strikes were needed to send a message to the terrorists, there was no word from Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif as to his strategy to deal with the TTPterror campaign that has so far claimed over 50,000 lives in the last few years. The strikes raise several questions:
1. Is Pakistan now ready to engage in a long and sustained campaign to eliminate terrorism as Sri Lanka did?
2. If Pakistan is launching a war on TTP terrorists, why is it being done without first taking the people of Pakistan in confidence?
3. When will the Prime Minister launch a communication offensive to build public support required for a war that could take many more years and lives?
4. How will the Prime Minister deal with the pro-Taliban forces active in Pakistan's politics and media and other walks of life?
5. If the Prime Minister has finally decided to end the menace of terrorism, is he prepared to stay the course when there are many more casualties on all sides? Is he preparing the nation to the pay the price?
6. What are the consequences of failure in this war? Will Pakistan fall to the Taliban? Will military intervene if the politicians fail to do what is necessary? What if both the politicians and the military fail? Will there be a massive multinational force intervention to keep Pakistan's nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of the Islamic militants? Will US and China join hands to prop up Pakistani state to protect themselves?
For a discussion of the above and other current topics, please watch the following video:
Haq's Musings: Is Pakistan Ready For Long Sustained Anti-Terror Campaign?
The year 2014 in Pakistan began with 27 deadly terrorist attacks in the first 20 days, claiming nearly 200 lives, according to South Asia Terrorism Portal. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for most of the attacks. In response, Pakistan ordered air-strikes against TTP targets in Tirah Valley (Khyber Agency) and Mir Ali (North Waziristan) in FATA. This was the first time in several years that the Pakistan Air Force jets pounded TTP hide-outs.
Source: South Asia Terrorism Portal
While I believe the air-strikes were needed to send a message to the terrorists, there was no word from Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif as to his strategy to deal with the TTPterror campaign that has so far claimed over 50,000 lives in the last few years. The strikes raise several questions:
1. Is Pakistan now ready to engage in a long and sustained campaign to eliminate terrorism as Sri Lanka did?
2. If Pakistan is launching a war on TTP terrorists, why is it being done without first taking the people of Pakistan in confidence?
3. When will the Prime Minister launch a communication offensive to build public support required for a war that could take many more years and lives?
4. How will the Prime Minister deal with the pro-Taliban forces active in Pakistan's politics and media and other walks of life?
5. If the Prime Minister has finally decided to end the menace of terrorism, is he prepared to stay the course when there are many more casualties on all sides? Is he preparing the nation to the pay the price?
6. What are the consequences of failure in this war? Will Pakistan fall to the Taliban? Will military intervene if the politicians fail to do what is necessary? What if both the politicians and the military fail? Will there be a massive multinational force intervention to keep Pakistan's nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of the Islamic militants? Will US and China join hands to prop up Pakistani state to protect themselves?
For a discussion of the above and other current topics, please watch the following video:
Haq's Musings: Is Pakistan Ready For Long Sustained Anti-Terror Campaign?