Re: PTI to ask for withdrawal of army from Swat and Malakand
I don't think it is as simple a matter as it appears to be: That PTI just asks the Army to return to barracks and Jawans start to pack up. An assessment must have come from the Army itself that the area is now ready to be taken over the civil administration with some help from the Army. PTI would have grasped the opportunity with both hands and given them their nod to let the civilians take over gradually.
In any case, Army's presence is not a permanent solution and eventually civil administration should come forward to take charge of the restive region.
Re: PTI to ask for withdrawal of army from Swat and Malakand
Any idea how many locals have been forced to take up arms against the state because of the ongoing military action and presence? With a continued military presence, this will be a never ending cycle of violence and terrorism.
Military action against your own population only breeds terrorism...doesnt eliminate it. Show me one example in history where any action by military forces against their own citizens ended nicely.
You believe the Pakistan Army is occupying Swat, and that they are conducting an operation aimed at the citizens? Lets not start denigrating the Army, where is your evidence...
Re: PTI to ask for withdrawal of army from Swat and Malakand
Pakistani counter terrorism policy (operations after operations after operations in the same areas) and the terrorists are still there. The operation in khyber agency is going on for three years. If swat was purged from terrorists how have they returned? No one has got the time to stop, think and and analyse if there's a problem somewhere.
the operations are ongoing in Khyber because the army always leaves some area for the terrorists to escape to, where they do not follow them... Its like putting out a fire in a house, but always leaving a few embers behind, so that as soon as your leave the entire thing reignites.
This is why the Army strategy has been such a failure. They arent fighting the menace, they are only trying to contain it.. In Swat they were smart and did the right thing, so the potential for an effective anti terrorism strategy is there, but for whatever reason the Army isnt doing its job.
I support PTI but i am clealy skepical about sending army back to barracks. These terrorists can come and retake those areas. I am not with PTI on this decision.
Re: PTI to ask for withdrawal of army from Swat and Malakand
Question is, why is presence of army bothering those PTI/JI followers so much?
What has army really achieved so far? Were they able to block TTP from growing? Were they able to stop any bombings around the country? were they able to keep the TTP leadership in check? There has to be some achievements for army stay in the area, army should not be utilized for patrolling the area.
Re: PTI to ask for withdrawal of army from Swat and Malakand
the operations are ongoing in Khyber because the army always leaves some area for the terrorists to escape to, where they do not follow them... Its like putting out a fire in a house, but always leaving a few embers behind, so that as soon as your leave the entire thing reignites.
This is why the Army strategy has been such a failure. They arent fighting the menace, they are only trying to contain it.. In Swat they were smart and did the right thing, so the potential for an effective anti terrorism strategy is there, but for whatever reason the Army isnt doing its job.
the army is bogged down in the areas, even those which they have cleared in the past. The problem will not be resolved until every one performs their job. The army's basic responsibility is to guard the borders, which they can't do under current circumstances obviously. If police and IB do their roles, army and ISI can complement that and ensure the areas remain peaceful.
Re: PTI to ask for withdrawal of army from Swat and Malakand
the army is bogged down in the areas, even those which they have cleared in the past. The problem will not be resolved until every one performs their job. The army's basic responsibility is to guard the borders, which they can't do under current circumstances obviously. If police and IB do their roles, army and ISI can complement that and ensure the areas remain peaceful.
Everyone in the know, says that the Talibans main center of operations is in North Waziristan. Now there is no police force in that area, so the only ones who could clear it up are the Army, yet they wont go in there. instead, all they do is defend surrounding areas and try to prevent the Taliban from getting out into other areas. Containment is the name of the game with the TTP as far as the Army is concerned. they aren't trying to defeat the outright.
I dont see how you could possibly finish the Taliban if you dont attack them in their base of operations. Its not a lack of capacity to fight the Taliban that has allowed them to survive this long, its the Armies refusal to fight them in consistent and sincere manner. Unless they attack them in North Waziristan, they will never completely defeat them.
Re: PTI to ask for withdrawal of army from Swat and Malakand
Why not hand over area to FC as they have been touted to be improved and better skilled now by kiyani? You don't use soldiers to police areas but rather to kill, kill, kill.
Army should be the last resort. Who do we use now if army isn't up to task? The Justice League? or the NO FEAR commandoes doing durgat of faislabadis recently?
Re: PTI to ask for withdrawal of army from Swat and Malakand
Why not hand over area to FC as they have been touted to be improved and better skilled now by kiyani? You don't use soldiers to police areas but rather to kill, kill, kill.
Army should be the last resort. Who do we use now if army isn't up to task? The Justice League? or the NO FEAR commandoes doing durgat of faislabadis recently?
Arent the FC just an amalgamation of a police force with an army? Sure if they are capable of doing the job then why not, but are the FC so much better then the Army? In Balochistan apparently, the FC is loathed.
Re: PTI to ask for withdrawal of army from Swat and Malakand
Everyone in the know, says that the Talibans main center of operations is in North Waziristan. Now there is no police force in that area, so the only ones who could clear it up are the Army, yet they wont go in there. instead, all they do is defend surrounding areas and try to prevent the Taliban from getting out into other areas. Containment is the name of the game with the TTP as far as the Army is concerned. they aren't trying to defeat the outright.
I dont see how you could possibly finish the Taliban if you dont attack them in their base of operations. Its not a lack of capacity to fight the Taliban that has allowed them to survive this long, its the Armies refusal to fight them in consistent and sincere manner. Unless they attack them in North Waziristan, they will never completely defeat them.
How is North Waziristan connected to Swat or Malakand?
Re: PTI to ask for withdrawal of army from Swat and Malakand
How is North Waziristan connected to Swat or Malakand?
Why is this so complicated? All the trouble seems to emanate from the TTP in NW.
Its close geographically, and is currently the main headquarters of the TTP. Its where they are free to recuperate and organize. The Army and govts writ does not extend into NW, and so obviously its a place where militancy festers.
Re: PTI to ask for withdrawal of army from Swat and Malakand
Arent the FC just an amalgamation of a police force with an army? Sure if they are capable of doing the job then why not, but are the FC so much better then the Army? In Balochistan apparently, the FC is loathed.
FC is the border security force or Rangers of NWFP / Balochistan. It is headed by army officers deputed from the army and trained by them even if it is considered to be a paramilitary under the command of the Interior Ministry. It is time that FC is tested out and further improved. There is another FC (frontier constabulary) that is from KP and is part of the police service of Pakistan. I guess that there are like the NO FEAR commandoes of Punjab but the federal govt still deploys them all over Pakistan unlike the punjabi elite force.
Btw, if FC is not liked then the "poonjabi army" is also disliked in balochistan. Right now, the army is in a holding pattern when it should be going actively after TTP and its allies. They have not only killed personnel from all three branches, but they have caused damage to armed forces property including the destruction of prized Orions and AWACs. Heck, MQM got pwned when it had tortured just one major in karachi in the infamous 1991 operation yet there is no all out war against TTP? I can only think that there are internal collaborators + the fact that army plans to use taliban against the northern alliance dominated forces post 2014 or later afghanistan.