Rapidly changing geo-political development (formation of new government in Afghanistan) and geo-strategic scenarios (Pakistani Taliban announcement to allegiance with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, US security agreement with newly formed Afghanistan’s government and sever violation at LOC from India) are the wake-up call for Armed Forces of Pakistan and Civilian leadership. Moreover, new wave of terrorism in different scattered areas of KPK and different federally administrated agencies demands new strategic alliance and better understanding between Armed Forces top brass and Civilian hierarchy on the issue of ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif became the First Elected Prime Minister
In an unprecedented development, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif became the first elected prime minister to ever visit the war-torn North Waziristan agency as he reached its headquarters in Miranshah to boost the morale of security forces fighting against terrorists in the ongoing military operation. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the Pakistan Army was fighting the war for the country’s survival under the leadership of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif.
Rich Tributes to the Pakistan Army
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid rich tributes to the Pakistan Army for successfully fighting a difficult war to secure Pakistan’s future and make the country safe and peaceful. He attended a briefing on the progress of the ongoing operation Zarb-e-Azb aimed at clearing North Waziristan of extremists and terrorists.
Assurance of Full Support
Nawaz Sharif lauded the efforts of the armed forces in clearing the area from terrorists while addressing the jawans and officers of the army. The prime minister expressed satisfaction over the progress of the operation and assured full support for the complete success of the ongoing operation.
Unconventional War
He termed it a difficult war as the army was fighting a hidden enemy, and appreciated the fact that they were succeeding and had cleared the area of miscreants. He paid rich tributes to all those who had laid down their lives for their country and said the supreme sacrifice of officers and jawans has made Pakistan secure. He prayed that Allah Almighty shower His blessings on the martyrs. He congratulated the families of all those who were fighting this war for Pakistan’s long-term security needs.
High Regards for Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif
The prime minister also lauded General Raheel Sharif for successfully leading the war that is aimed at securing Pakistan’s peaceful and prosperous future. It is indeed the success of “Raheel Sharif doctrine. Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has been frequently visiting there to meet the troops and lift their confidence and determination. He also spent Eid-ul-Azha with them.
Achievements of Air Force (PAF), Artillery units and Special Services Group (SSG
He was briefed on the operation and informed that so far over 1,000 terrorists have been killed and 90 percent of area cleared of the miscreants. He was informed that Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Artillery units and Special Services Group (SSG) played a key role in making the operation a success and added a new chapter of chivalry in the military history of the country. Mir Ali, Degan, Boya and Dattakhel have been totally cleared, the command and control centre being used by the terrorists destroyed while huge quantity of weapons and ammunition has been recovered.
Main Cause of Zarb-i-Azb
Military operation Zarb-i-Azb was launched by the Pakistan army on June 15 following a brazen militant attack on Karachi’s international airport and failure of peace talks between the government and Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) negotiators. It is noted that there has been a significant decline in major terrorist attacks after the launch of Zarb-e-Azb. It is a major immediate achievement of the operation. Several top TTP leaders have either fled from Pakistan or have been killed or have gone underground to escape action by security forces.
Strong Message
The PM’s visit to the restive agency alongside the army chief sent a strong message to all the miscreants within the country, region and abroad. It is the beginning of new strategic alliance between the Pakistan’s Army and Civilian policy makers for achieving desired goals of better understanding, peace and harmony within the country, and signalizing full preparedness to all the power movers and shakers in the region to think again about any speculated misadventure against Pakistan. Moreover, it was need of the hour which reinforced the political ownership of the most difficult military operation in the complex terrain. It also conveyed complete harmony and cohesion between the political and military leaderships. It gave a resounding message to the terrorists that the civil and military leaderships were on the same page for elimination of militants.
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) strong commitment
The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Raheel Sharif, has vowed to root out the cancer of terrorism from the country forever. The army chief spent the Eid day on the frontlines visiting the troops participating in the Operation Zarb-e-Azb. He offered Eid prayer with the troops in Wana and spent time with them and later flew to Miranshah to meet the troops based in North Waziristan.
The COAS expressed complete satisfaction over the achievements made so far. While interacting with the troops, the COAS lauded their spirit and commitment in sustaining the operation with a remarkable degree of success. “With this level of determination shown by the army and the people of Pakistan, there is no doubt that we will root out the cancer of terrorism from our country forever,” he said.
General Raheel paid glowing tributes to Shuhada and the wounded who had rendered supreme sacrifices for the defence of the country. Later, while visiting an IDPs camp in Bannu, the COAS acknowledged the sacrifices of the people of Fata and praised their devotion, faith and loyalty with Pakistan.
It has also been the ideal combination of courageous decision making, clarity of objectivity, cautious sharing, coordinated effort and take advantage of favorable geo-political and geo-strategic conditions.
Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) doctrine is now paying its dividends in shape of lesser incidents of terrorist attacks, destruction of terrorist hubs, marginalization of their ill-designs against the State and its people during the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb. It has complete clarity. It is a result-oriented operation. It has conflict resolution. It is a complex and multidimensional military operation which is being carried out with the help of the Special Services Group, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan and the last but not the least Artillery units.
Although it was a tough task because the SSG troops were already stretched onto other assignments for counter-terrorism duties across Fata and the mainland but they performed their duties to best of their abilities. SSG commandos embedded with regular infantry units at the fronts enhanced the latter’s counter-insurgency (COIN) and counter-terror (CT) capacity. The Prime Minister series of consultation with COAS before and during the Zarb-e-Azb successfully changed the battle against the terrorist. Now Armed Forces was well prepared and on same page with civilian leadership. In short span of time he achieved what others figured it out by utilizing more time, space and resources too. Due to which Zarb-e-Azb came out of the Rah-e-Rast and Rah-e-Nijat hangovers. Tit-for-tat air strikes and an intelligence-based strategy killed many terrorists. It has learnt that pre-operational clearance strikes, by troops from South Waziristan’s crack divisions as well as Tarbela-based special forces, saw engagements building up to the north as early as March, 2014 concentrating on targets to block the region’s southern and eastern corridors in case the militants decided to move around too much within the badlands, or too far into the mainland.
The joint civil-military carrot of talks and stick of bombings was simultaneously initiated which strengthened spy game on the ground and in the media. It created splinter groups among the terrorists at large. Subsequently, it identified pockets for military as well as public-consumption purposes.
Initial Planning
Initially NWS operation was divided into five stages which are highlighted through a diagram. The Karachi Airport attack in early June, 2014 forced military junta and civilian government to speed up the already begun operations. NWA was tried to capture by using holistic approach (geographical division/divergence). Cutting of axes i.e. east-to-west centre i.e. the Mir Ali, Miranshah, Boya-Degan and Dattakhel. It also was stroke in the middle, of North Waziristan; south, also running east to west too, from around Razmak to Shawal, later on, the north, up to Kurram. Subsequently sealing the border and the final bun on top was systematically executed.
The Army of Pakistan discovered many media tapes, deadly weapons, IED factories, suicide bomb training centers, literature and doodles. The military operation in NWA successfully dismantled the strong-holds of Haqqani Network and good and bad Taliban. Now For, come this autumn, Zarb-e-Azb phase II has been started.
Radial Diagram Concluding Remarks
Military operation Zarb-e-Azb is being carried out with zeal and courage. Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) doctrine is in full swing which has already succeeded against the defeated mentality of so called military strategists, war game experts and political pundits in the country. Since it is unconventional war against an unknown enemy it may take some time to complete with.
It was initiated in the difficult times of so called conspiracy to consensus, alienation to alliance and now being a nation we must stop criticising the state and armed forces and eliminate the ideological confusions. We need to win this war as North Waziristan had been becoming an epicenter of terrorism for the region.
Zarb-e-Azb was launched to manage the looming crises confronting to our national survival in shape of militancy, terrorism, extremism, sectarianism and violence. Now it is an essential imperative to win the battle of survival on both fronts i.e. ground and psychological. The ongoing military operation has already crippled TTP capabilities. The Army of Pakistan and Civilian government must be on the same page to achieve the desired goals of peace and harmony in the country and more elimination of terrorism.
