Chief of Army Staff Gen Kayani has called for ‘precision strikes to avoid collateral damage even at the expense of taking risks’ in Swat. But will this strategy work?
Air raids, especially those conducted by coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan almost always cause widespread civilian casualties. Given the chequered history of precision strikes, can it be said that the Pakistan army will do any better? Also, the army chief has said that the overall success of the operations in Swat and adjoining regions depend on three areas: ‘conduct of military operations, minimizing collateral damage and correctly managing IDPs’.
So far the armed forces have claimed killing more than 750 militants, though the figure is yet to be independently verified. The Taliban claim that only 15 of its fighters have lost their lives. Meanwhile, thousands of refugees have been pouring out of the areas affected by the full-scale military operation. According to some estimates, the figure of the Internally Displaced Persons has already crossed a staggering one million.
Dawn.com invites readers to debate the Swat strategy and suggest what’s right or wrong with the ongoing action.
I feel sorry for everyone who supports this kind of operations. I feel sorry for the innocent women and children of Swat. I feel nothing but anger and disgust about Pakistan Military. Before we go on our rant about Taliban and Mullahs, and I’m never a fan or supporter of them, lets try to answer following questions sincerely and see if we can still say what we say:
1. Who created and used Taliban?
2. Was Sawat valley or tribal areas or people there ever a problem for the State of Pakistan?
3. On whose behest this whole operation and the operations before were started in FATA and other areas along the Afghan-Pak border?
4. What do you get in return when you throw a stone in hornet’s nest?
5. How would you feel when your children, wives, mothers, sisters, brothers, and other family members are murdered in the name of “fighting against terrorism” mercilessly, without any due process, and without any sensible reason?
6. Lastly, how would you feel when your families … children, women, and elders are forced to leave everything you got and get out to face danger, destruction, and death on the behest of corrupt army leadership, politicians, or Western parasites?
Look at the faces of the small children, who have been made homeless, think about these answers, and then if you’ve the courage and sane argument come forward.
Besides … if there are indeed unnecessarily provoked trouble-makers for the sake of getting Western aid by our spineless military and political leadership … then the question that begs the answer is that … if the half a million strong military (“strong” only to suppress and kill its own brethren) which racks over 60% of the country’s resources, is it the paper tiger that can’t handle few hundred trouble-makers without displacing over a million people and killing hundreds in the process.
God, if someone dares to hurt my family, my only goal in life would be to make sure I make them pay.
Lets think about it, shall we?
Lets hope peace and sanity prevails. Lets hope no innocent dies anywhere on this globe because of the greed of stupids and parasites.
Amen!
I support military operation 100%. Although it is creating a lot of misery for the local population and my heart goes out to those families. But I think it was essential to do this operation and wipe this virus (Taliban) out. It is quite possible that all of these Taliban may not be wiped out but operation this huge gives a strong message that state is going to go all out and will not tolerate the miscreants. The reason that every week new groups were emerging was that there were no action against these kind of people and being an insurgent probably became a profitable business. Now after this operation, I hope, it would not be easy for these people to recruit new young guys in the name of Islam.
I feel so irritated when media uses the word Maulana and Mulla for talibs, these words carry honor and should not be used for thugs and killers. I personally believe that we should use the word that Quran has given to them and that is “Mufsideen”. They are spreading “Fasad” in the land of the lord and God hates these people and it has been mentioned in Quran so many times. I believe using “Mufsideen” or “Fasadee” will heart them more because we will be using the Quranic (Islamic) terminology for them.
What a co-incidence; We have created the same situation in Kashmir where the common people suffered between Our Sponsored Terrorists and the Indian army. Alas, now entire Pakistan become Kashmir. We have to pray other gods to save Pakistan.
I think this is the right thing that pakistan is doing.As indian we are brothers as before partition we are in the same country.India is now eying on economic growth and this is good for the people.I think as a brother pakistan and india will be emerge as greatest economy in the world if we go hand in hand with each other.I pray for pakistan to come out of this crises.
I fully support our troops and hope that they win in this war.
Long Live Pakistan and God Bless Pak Army
We purused diplomacy with these savagers by provding them with sharia law and they still refused to lay down their arms so in conclusion I like most pakistanis fully support the army for killing these savagers.I hope all pakistanis feel the same way and support the army.
The whole nation should stand behind the armed forces, as this is a fight for survival of Pakistan as a nation. If anybody thinks that these barbarians have anything to do with Islam,he/she is naive. Their objective is to spread and take control of as much territory as possible, and enforce their version of governance, which is medieval, and barbaric.
Now why you see people like Munawwar Hassan (JI), Qazi and Fazlur Rehman supporting these criminals in the name of Islam is that People of Pakistan have never, and will never vote for these mullahs, hence their only chance to come to Power is through these backdoors, and they would go to any extent to grab power, even if they have to side with these illiterate, murderers.
This is the time, if somebody speaks against this operation or the armed forces,(Like Imran Khan, Munawwar Hassan, Qazi, Hamid Mir etc) he/she should be tried for Treason, as their stand jeopardize not only the existence of this country but results in misleading masses, and demoralizing the Army.
Need peaceful revolution!
First of all, only educated people practicing Allah’s Deen should be elected to the legislature at all levels without any interference from any quarter whatsoever, local or foreign.
Then, Pakistani Parliament should re-draft the Islamic Sharia strictly under Qur’an as well as the Sunnah; and implement the same sooner than later.
That’s the only way out, as there would remain no pretext to capture Pakistan and bring about mis-interpreted & mis-applied sharia laws.
How is that possible?
There is a need of proper education based on logic of Islamic principles.
We, as a Muslim Nation in Pakistan should start self accountability, so that we realize where the wrong is.
There should be conscientious self analysis.
There should be a new wave of land reforms in Pakistan based on justice.
The age old “Vadera system” stinks; so should be phased out as a priority.
We would love to retain General Kayani as Head of Pakistan Army in order to counter
this heavily armed insurgents with modern weaponry.
Thereafter, Pakistan shall prevail with a ‘face uplift’.
There shall be a supreme practical parliament, independent judiciary to implement Rule of law, An Honest Govenment delivering good governance and, of course, a resposible concientious Media(electronic and Print).
That’s how our dream of good change will come true.
What next? after the Talibans are done with.
Same old way of governance? Injustice, promotion of western values, poor gets poorer and the rich gets richer.
People wake up , We need leaders who belong to Pakistan and have steak in Pakistan. We have leaders , they , their families, wealth and businesses are all out of the country. What do they care, they have no steak , God forbid if our country is in very serious danger , they will all leave the country and spend rest of their lives abroad.
They are in Pakistan for a reason and one reason only to make as much as they can, as if they will take every thing into their graves.
People wake up and demand change, protect your and your childern’s future. Demand Justice, education,developement and accountability of these leaders.
May ALLAH (SWT) Help our Pakistan to progress in peace and harmony. AMEEN
It is the time that we unite as a nation and stop these benign Islamic monopolist. They must be dealt with iron hand. All those arrested during this operation must be hanged and telecasted live on national T.V to show all those who challenges the ideology of Pakistan.
I am in Australia, but two months ago i was back home and one of my friend showed me CD of TTP selling in every shop across Peshawar. I was so sad that i couldn’t even imagine that these fanatics are butchering people mercilessly couldn’t sleep the whole night after watching that CD ,as there were so many barbaric acts in that. One question arises where were our so called professional intelligence agencies when all this was happening, because in that CD Taliban shows a suicide bomber with a full movie shots. They show sniffers shot of shooting pak.army soldiers.
Being a patriotic Pakistani and a moderate Pukhtoon i would say that what is happening in swat is an international conspiracy against this solo Muslim nuclear state. Why these religious fanatics don’t take over in other countries, why every time Pakistan. Yes i agree poverty, lack of education and economic deprivation but it is there in all third world countries of the world. An international conspiracy is being hatched against my motherland, as it was in 1971.We must be united this time. We must defeat them. We must support our brothers, I mean Pakistan army ,they are from our families. It is not only the army but it is Pakistan people’s army just like in china. We all must act as the soldier of Pakistan army and defeat these ignorant religious vandalists.pakistan army zindabad.
The whole nation is with army. If Pakistan has to survive ,and Pakistanis abroad has to lead a life of dignity we have to say no to Taliban. Politicians should refrain from scoring political points at this critical time of history. They must shun their differences and must stand along pak.army and nation.
My prayers are with my beloved soldiers who are recording a new chapter of valour in the annals of history. ALLAH is with Pakistan army and we all as a nation must act as the soldiers of Pakistan army to root out these religious fanatics. Long Live Pakistan and Long live Pakistan army.
We must be united this time.We must defeat them.We must support our brothers,i mean pakistan army ,they are from our families.It is not only the army but it is pakistan peoples’s army just like in china.We all must act as the soldier of pakistan army and defeat these ignorant religious vandalists.pakistan army zindabad.
Even at this moment when about 40% of Pakistanis beleive that Taliban are backed by India, I see no end in sight of this conflict. Pakistanis have been fed with so much lies over the last 60 years that it has resulted in total intelligence cofusion.
The totaly corroupt Pak army elite even now want to some how channel the Taliban energy in India. This experiment has backfired big time but the elite have nothing to loose as they are ready to take off to Switzerland where they have stashed away billions if things get totaly out of hand.
for God sack stop killing innocent pathan, and is any body helping the displace people in their camps, all the pathan were helping out when the earthquick stuck in 2007
There is so much talk about whether the Taliban are “true” muslims.
Who the heck cares ? We need to get away from this identification of “Islam” with ANY behavioral characteristics.
There are murderers, rapists, saints and industrialists in EVERY religion.
Until we move to a setup as Jinnah wanted, and relegate the clergy to people’s private lives, we’re going to have many many more Swats.
Some of these “Swat”s we will win. But we just have to lose ONE for Pakistani society to head back to the stone age.
We as Pakistani need to take care of people suffering out of this crisis
I strongly support military operation in those areas but only thing make me worried that Talibans are mixing themselves with those people who are evacuating those areas.
Security forces must do strong checking and also people must help authorities to identify Talibans. If we let Talibans go, they might reorganized later.
Pakistan has become another Israel, killing its own people using weapons provided by USA and tactics by CIA, etc.
Pakistan is on its way to become another Afghansitan, the show is being directed by CIA, RAW, FSB, possibly Mossad and our own Pakistan Army.
All Pakistna army can do is kills its own people. it has never won any war against it rival enemy on the east (india).
Taliban if at all it is true Taliban are not doing any good, but i think it is infiltrated with bad elements who are giving bad name to Islam.
” GO, AND ELIMINATE THEM FROM THE FACE OF THIS LAND, DONT FORGET TO ELIMINATE THOSE WHO ARE FINANCING THEM AS WELL”
Pakistan has only one choice, “flush them out”
WE SUPPORT PAKISTAN ARMY, NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE!
“Malik says:
May 15th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
The army action should be supported. But the basic question is that the people are dying for their cause which they say is Islamic law. Hold on for few minutes and let us see what they want. Somewhere, somehow a revolution is required to change our colonial and highly depressed mentality. Pakistan was not meant for Choudharis, thanedars, and tehsildars and their incompetent sons and daguther. Let us sincerely search our souls. Are our leadership the best people for the job? The royalty in Nepal was overruled, there is a rising revolution about to come to Burma, and we have the same inefficient people ruling us for long time. The people in Swat, how much misled they may be has started a revolution, which because of their overzealousness they call it Islamic law. Basically, it is their cause for simple and affordable justice, and change of some sort. Change which the outmoded and outdated Pakistani politicians and military junta had denied us. We should support this change and take it over from people of Swat and get rid of these cruel leaders and mentality of Pakistan. Let a revolution should come, bloody it may be for Pakistan. The people of Swat had laid down a good foundation.”
So what are you suggesting, that Pakistani should blindly overthrow government? Whats the guarantee that the next government will be better and able to sustain betterness over long time? To large extent incompetent Gov is relfection of incompetent public. Why dont you suggest these people educate themselves or Gov to improve education? Think first before you incite people to violence!
I have to agree with Mr. Bhalla. Pakistan should completely forget about its border with India and hit the Taliban with all its might. India is the last country in the world who would like to see Pakiatn taken over by Taliban. Right now India will not even allow an Indian ‘macchar’ to cross acros LOC anywhere. So go Pakistan and eliminate Taliban.
I think these talibans should be uprooted down to the last person.. They will demolish our country.. Army should eliminate these people at any cost so we can have our country back.
Re: Swat Operation—————
Some people perceive the insurgency as proxy war, while others claim that Swat Deal has been messed up under foreign pressure.
Even the locals are in favour of the operation inspite of the hardship they are facing.
Whatever the case may be, Pakistan Army under the leadership of General Kayani will be able to flush out the rogue elements.
But, there is a greater need for back up support to the State and the Military from the Pakistani people.
Good news is that Pakistan shall prevail with the help of Allah (subhana hu wa tala).
Finally, Qur’an and the Sunnah will be established with guaranteed everlasting peace.
Even though I fully support this operation and think it is the only way forward, what if the Taliban start fleeing with the local civilians by disguising their appearance? How will they be able to identify these people?
How long will this rehabilitation take after all this is over? Due to what is happening with innocent people, how many more civilians will turn into militants as a consequence to their suffering?
I think everyone just wants peace!!!
Coming from a family who sacificed 300 immediate famiy members in the creation of Pakistan, I am saddened to see this kind of an action by these so called Taliban miscreants who are now ready to dismantle it. The army has been called upon by the people of Pakistan to take action and must wipe them out once and for all and must not allow even one to escape. Living abroad one realizes the importance and value of Pakistan and I pray for Pakistans soverignty and unity (Ameen).
The army action should be supported. But the basic question is that the people are dying for their cause which they say is Islamic law. Hold on for few minutes and let us see what they want. Somewhere, somehow a revolution is required to change our colonial and highly depressed mentality. Pakistan was not meant for Choudharis, thanedars, and tehsildars and their incompetent sons and daguther. Let us sincerely search our souls. Are our leadership the best people for the job? The royalty in Nepal was overruled, there is a rising revolution about to come to Burma, and we have the same inefficient people ruling us for long time. The people in Swat, how much misled they may be has started a revolution, which because of their overzealousness they call it Islamic law. Basically, it is their cause for simple and affordable justice, and change of some sort. Change which the outmoded and outdated Pakistani politicians and military junta had denied us. We should support this change and take it over from people of Swat and get rid of these cruel leaders and mentality of Pakistan. Let a revolution should come, bloody it may be for Pakistan. The people of Swat had laid down a good foundation.