Natasha Matloob
There is no denying that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other extremist outfits remain among the gravest threats to Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political stability. Emboldened by transnational jihadist networks such as the Islamic State and al-Qaida, the TTP in particular continues to challenge the writ of the state via its brand of militant Deobandi radicalism. Pakistan’s response, as always, is to wage yet another military campaign, this time Operation Sarbakaf in Bajaur, formerly part of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) but now a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
Why is the political and military leadership of the country repeating the same policies that have failed to defeat militancy for the last two decades?
Launched in July 2025, Operation Sarbakaf is being billed as a “precise, intelligence-based” campaign aimed at militants affiliated not only with the TTP but with the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), the Afghanistan-centered affiliate of the transnational terrorist group. The offensive followed a sharp escalation in militant violence, including targeted assassinations of political figures such as Awami National Party leader Maulana Khan Zeb and former senator Hidayatullah Khan, as well as a series of deadly ambushes and IED attacks on government officials.
While the ongoing operation’s potential to actually eradicate militancy remains dim, it is succeeding in racking up a devastating human cost. Over 100,000 people in Bajaur have been displaced, forced to live in overcrowded schools and sports complexes that were converted into makeshift shelters. Civilian deaths, such as the recent killing of a mother and her two children in Mamund Tehsil by mortar fire, have fueled anger and despair. The angry response from locals is a stark reminder that military victories mean little when public trust is shattered.
No comments:
Post a Comment