Recent visit of the Director Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) General Zaheer-ul-Islam to Washington has been reported in local and international media which reportedly highlighted possibilities of Pak-US joint Military operation against Haqqani Network in North Waziristan. Such interaction between Islamabad and Washington is jolting the depth of insecurity among local tribal of the vicinity.
Although, the military sources has termed the media reports baseless relating to Pak-US joint military operation against Haqqani Network and other militants in North Waziristan. They have reiterated, saying without intervention of any power in the country, Pakistan has to decide the modalities of any operation in the national interest.
Commenting over any possibility of Pakistan military operation in North Waziristan, political analyst and former Pakistani ambassador Ayaz Wazir told, “US and Nato have and will ask Pakistan to do military operation against Haqqani Network in North Waziristan but Pakistan has some reservation and reluctant to do it”. He further said that the military operation against Haqqani Network in North Waziristan would not be in the benefit of USA and Pakistan because it will generate collateral damages ( civilian casualties ) as well as increase the size of militancy.
Wazir maintained that political will is the unique solution for peace in the region which he said is possible through searching ways and means to address the reasons of militancy in Waziristan.
He categorically said that politicians and the military leadership of the country has to find the way and have to sit together to decide whether the war on terror is their own war or not, adding that if Pakistan is a front state allay of the America on war on terror, then it has to ensure the USA that Pakistani’ soil would not be used against them. Wazir added that militancy needs to be eliminated from Pakistan. He said that Pakistan should realize that it is not possible to remain an ally and an enemy at the same time.
A local resident of North Waziristan Ahmadullah said that in past 2006 and 07 military actions held in NWA, but nothing could be achieved without torturing locals. He said thousands of locals flees from the area and face physical and economic lost which are yet to be compensated, although the political administration received as many as 170 million rupees from the government regarding the compensation of war affected people of NWA.
Apart from these politico-military implications, there would be some other problems that Pakistan’s government may face. One of them is the issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
According to the available figures about 50, 000 families (around 500, 000 individuals) could be displaced from the NWA. If it happens, it will be the second highest displacement in the military operations after Swat.
Most of the IDPs are expected to be placed in the camps in Bannu, and other in nearby areas which means that government needs to prepare itself for the new crisis of IDPs. The IDPs made after other such operations had suffered a great deal and majority of them couldn’t get any assistance from the government or NGOs
It is pertinent to mention that time and again USA has asked Pakistan for military operation against Haqqani Network in North Waziristan and the communication was not result oriented but recent break through in ties of Pakistan and USA, the Washington has repeatedly expressed for military operation against Haqqani Network in the vicinity.
