Flushing out the terrorism

In a fierce fighting against militants in Tirah Valley, the Pakistan Army has lost yet another 23 troops and sustained injuries to several others. A crucial military offensive launched to recapture the restive Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency has resulted in killing of over 30 militants. The TTP captured entire Tirah Valley after a fierce gun-battle with the Ansarul Islam (AI) during the last month that forced a massive displacement of locals from war-hit area. Hence a full-fledged military offensive was planned with the help of the SSG and local Amn Lashkar volunteers to root out the strong bases of the banned outfits of the TTP from the restive valley. Having back-up of gunship and jet planes, the forces are quite near to seize the area completely. In the most complicated hilly terrains of Tirah Valley, the support of the SSG and the local volunteers to the Army, pitched in the most difficult war, has lit up the hopes for retrieval. The hope against the hope is: the Army may well wrest back the control over the Valley that has become a stronghold for the TTP. The Army has entered into a decisive war against the militants. The Army advances in the Tirah Valley may gain new impetus if the political administration in the adjacent agencies and nearby settled areas also launches a serious hunt for the terrorists simultaneously. The joint action will restrict the movement of the terrorists. It is generally believed that the FATA is a strong hunting ground for the extremists whereas the fact is that the TTP network has spread across the country especially the province of Punjab. To ensure success in Tirah, the security agencies should launch a joint operation to flush out extremists across Pakistan. Otherwise, the militants, over the years, having caused a sporadic devastation every now and then, may continue to do so if they are not countered with a massive force. The militants have ruthlessly killed children, women and elderly persons; the Tirah Valley had been their last merciless endeavor. Unfathomed sadness is the political parties are engaged in political knitty-gritty to reach the power-corridors ignoring the cruelties of militants, and some of them even went on to support a political peace process through negotiations with the TTP. Thus it gave the TTP, an ample time to regroup and rejuvenate to launch a massive crusade on the Tirah Valley. Now it is time for all the political parties to show no sympathy with the TTP men rather extend all-out support to the Army to continue with its decisive offensive against the self-styled Islamists to teach them a lesson to abide by the writ of the State. Any sympathy or soft corner from any quarter at this point in time with the extremists and militants in any part of the country will jeopardize the sacrifices rendered by the Army Jawans fighting war on terror and on the other hand; it will hoodwink the holding of next general elections. The brave people of the FATA, apart from suffering massive loss of men and material, are pinning hope of their revival on forthcoming elections; and against all odds are preparing to exercise their right to vote in 190 polling stations set up to elect two members of the National Assembly. The political administration has enlisted 110 polling stations as sensitive. A comprehensive plan is afoot to provide stringent security cover to the polling stations to hold free, fair and impartial elections. The task is extremely difficult but not impossible. It, however, requires a firm political will to accomplish the job. There must not be any illusion that without taking the FATA in the mainstream, the peace cannot be established in the rest of the country. The deteriorated situation in Karachi and Quetta will come alive if the security agencies managed to flush out extremism from the country in the ongoing targeted operations; the militancy and the State, under any pretext, cannot go together especially killing in the name of the nationalism or the religion is a forgone phenomenon. All those up against the ruthless terrorism deserve unconditional support and appreciation of the nation and political leadership alike.