Dialogues, arguments, speeches, newspaper articles and street demonstrations were all in favour of the Pakistan army to initiate full operations in North Wazirstan to demolish the Taliban in Pakistan for ever.
North Wazirstan, a stretch of 72 kilometers of rough and tough mountains – a total area of 4,707 square kilometres (1,817 square miles) has an estimated population (as of 1998) of 361,246.
Travel in the area is a journey by road and is not without risk to life even for military troops who clear first and then travel. Once the road is clear, the main convoy has to start immediately to reach the other end before it is dark.
Defense analysts and media pundits are divided over the military action against militants hiding in North Waziristan, as if it was a last resort for them. In the middle of the negotiations, suddenly, Taliban militants in Mohmand Agency, have reportedly claimed that they killed 23 Frontier Corps (FC) soldiers, who were abducted by the group in 2010 from Shongari checkpost in Mohmand Agency.
This incident was enough to break on-going negations and start a targeted war in North Wazirstan on the hideouts of militants. There were reports of jet plane bombardments as well as other offensive attacks on the Talibans by the Pakistan army.
MQM organized a protest demonstration to support the Pakistan army to end Taliban activities. Punjab government cancelled the Anthem Ceremony in Lahore at the eleventh hour in which 200,000 students and other youth were expected to participate to make a new world record.
[note: basically Taliban is plural of Talib in Urdu (source of Urdu is Persian and Arabic). Talib means student. The students who get education in Madrassa (religious schools) are called Talib. This means all Talib are not militants. But now the most commonly used word is Thareek-e-Taliban Pakistan, who are militants. Yet it sounds as if all members of Tahreek-e-Taliban are militants as most of them belong to the “Ahl-e-Hadith” or “Deo Bandi” school of thought who get inspiration and funds from Saudi Arabia to spread Wahabism in Islam under the cover or Afghan Jihad, therefore, they want a “Shariat” (Islamic Law), meaning the Religious Law of Saudi Arabia or “ahl-e-hadit”. However, the dominant school of thought in Pakistan is “Brelvi”. Wahabism can be likened to the Puritans and “brelvi” are moderates. ]
North Wazirstan is a hub of Thareek-eTaliban. Civilians have started migration out from there en-mass but as there is no access to those war zone areas, there are no exact reports of casualties. All the news comes from the security institutions or the Talibans but, some analyst says, the strategy of the present military head, General Raheel Shariff is, “tit for tat”, no appeasement – as General Kyani was tasked with.]
Things in the areas are not clear yet but the mood of the nation is behind the army to end this game of violence through violence as peace through words has been proved only lip service and brought further blows on the government – and the ordinary people who have resided there for generations.
