After sacrificing so much for gaining influence in Afghanistan, it seems everything is lost. The militants that are ‘good’ today can become enemies tomorrow. The government should end this business of subletting defense to private militias as it has only hurt us.
**ISLAMABAD: The so-called “strategic depth” will no longer be a concern of the establishment if the government finally goes for a military action in North Waziristan after the likely failure of talks, mainly because the Haqqani network is now supporting the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Well-informed sources in the establishment say the Pakistan Army was fully prepared to launch either a targeted or a full-scale military operation in North Waziristan.
Asked if the likely operation was discussed during Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s February 18 meeting with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif, a khaki official said on the condition of anonymity that there was unanimity between the two that the military option would be used as a last resort to re-establish the writ of the state in Waziristan.
“The PM and the COAS were greatly perturbed over non-stop terrorist attacks and the ensuing killings despite talks.” To a question, the official said the civil and military leadership has already chalked out the future course of action once the dialogue process fails, which had been initiated on the desire of the outlawed elements and with a view to stop the bloodshed of innocent people.
Approached for comments, a member of the government-appointed dialogue team said on condition of anonymity that if the talks fail and a decision is made to exercise the military option, the armed forces would be able to launch a ground offensive by March, because of the harsh winter in North Waziristan.
However, he added that the possibility of surgical strikes before the ground offensive could not be ruled out even before that. He recalled that fighter jets of Pakistan Air Force had effectively bombarded the Taliban hideouts last month after a series of terrorist attacks on the security forces by the Taliban.
The committee member pointed out that it was following the killing of 50-plus Taliban militants in these aerial strikes (including foreigners) that the TTP had offered peace talks to the government.Since North Waziristan not only houses the headquarters of the Pakistani Taliban but also the headquarters of the Haqqanis, there are bright chances of the Army being asked (after the likely failure of talks) to launch an offensive in North Waziristan to uproot their networks and deprive them of their sanctuary. Security analysts believe that the military option in North Waziristan should have been exercised years ago. However, it was the presence of the Haqqani network (which was considered a strategic asset) in North Waziristan which had stopped the establishment from proceeding against the TTP network there.
But as things stand, analysts say, “strategic depth” will no longer be a consideration of the security establishment because of the fact that the Haqqanis are no more considered to be “strategic assets”, especially after they decided to throw their weight behind the TTP in the ongoing conflict instead of siding with the state of Pakistan.
The cosy relations between the Pakistani establishment and the Haqqanis turned sour with the November 1, 2013 killing of Hakimullah Mehsud in a drone attack in Dandey Darpakhel area of North Waziristan which also houses the TTP headquarters.
After being persuaded by Mulla Omar, the ameer of Afghan Taliban, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the chief operational commander of Haqqani network, had agreed to mediate between Pakistani Taliban and the establishment for a peace agreement. Sirajuddin had deputed his Islamabad-based brother, Dr Nasiruddin Haqqani alias Zabihullah Mujahid to broker a dialogue between the two sides. He subsequently convinced Hakimullah to accept the government’s offer of peace talks.
Nasiruddin had then assured Hakimullah that he would return unharmed if he travels to the Dandey Darpakhel headquarters of the TTP in North Waziristan to preside over his outfit’s Shura meeting to discuss the peace offer. However, Hakimullah was killed in a US drone attack soon after the TTP Shura meeting came to an end. The fact that Dandey Darpakhel is actually controlled by the Haqqanis and that Hakimullah had travelled there on the assurance of the Haqqanis, led to the suspicion in TTP ranks that Nasiruddin (who was also the Haqqani network’s official’ spokesman known as Zabihullah Mujahid) might have a hand in the American drone attack that killed their ameer. Ten days after Hakimullah’s killing, Nasiruddin Haqqani, the top fund raiser and organiser of Haqqani network as well as its liaison man with the Pakistani security establishment, was gunned down in Islamabad (on November 11, 2013). His assassination led to rumours that Nasiruddin might have been killed by the TTP to avenge the death of Hakimullah. But these rumours were put to rest by a spokesman of Haqqani network (Najeebullah) who had immediately blamed Pakistani agencies for Nasiruddin’s murder, saying he had been mediating between a powerful intelligence agency and the Pakistani Taliban for peace talks.
“However, he had refused to mediate further following Hakimullah’s death and the subsequent announcement of TTP not to hold peace talks with the government. Nasiruddin’s reluctance to mediate anymore after Hakimullah’s killing must have annoyed the agency to an extent that it decided to eliminate him physically,” the Haqqani network’s spokesman was quoted by the media as saying.
On his part, the TTP spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid, had also blamed the murder on the Pakistani intelligence agency, vowing to take revenge. “Nasiruddin Haqqani has been martyred by none other than the ISI. He was killed because he had bravely backed our ameer Hakimullah Mehsud,” Shahidullah told AFP when asked about the possible killer. **As no one claimed responsibility for the mysterious assassination, the ISI circles refuted the allegations of involvement, saying Nasiruddin was either killed by the TTP or the Afghan National Directorate of Security.
However, the dominant feeling is that Nasiruddin’ assassination has literally shattered the decades-old alliance between the Haqqani network and the security establishment. A senior intelligence official said on the condition of anonymity that the time has come for the decision-makers to review their strategy towards the Afghan Taliban as well as the Haqqani network because of credible reports that both these groups are supporting and financing the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in its current terror spree against the khakis and the civilians alike.
**The official said that it seems the Haqqanis and Afghan Taliban have decided to side with the Pakistani Taliban instead of the state, with a view to use them against the enemy forces on the other side of the border after the withdrawal of the US-led forces from Afghanistan.
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Approached for comments, a senior military official said (requesting anonymity): “We don’t have any favourites anywhere in the tribal belt, especially in the militants’ ranks.” He said the impression that the country’s military leadership was reluctant in the past to carry out a military operation in North Waziristan because of the presence of the Haqqani network is simply misleading. “The Army leadership would not hesitate in launching a military offensive in the Waziristan region if and when ordered by the government,” he added.
Haqqani network has long been one of the most lethal and dangerous insurgent groups operating in Afghanistan. Although it is a separate militant group, it pledges allegiance to Mulla Mohammad Omar and has a history of strong links to Pakistani intelligence establishment since the days of the Afghan jehad against the Soviets in the 1980s.