Operation Raddul Fasaad

With the launch of Operation Raddul Fasaad, the nation is hopeful that the terrorists will be brought to book. The absence of terror attacks for a short period misled the nation into thinking that the country has come little closer to its target of defeating terrorism. However the recent surge in terrorist attacks has shocked the entire nation. The terrorists don’t only have strong presence in the country but they are also capable of striking at will at any place and at any time. Indeed, the nation is reeling from the burden of successive governments’ indecision whether or not to proceed against militant organisations and their sympathisers. The failure to implement the National Action Plan is sufficient to learn that we have not learnt from the past.

The battle against terrorism is different from any other challenge in our history. We will not win the war on terror if we rely solely on the might of the military. In order to defeat the terrorists, it is imperative to employ the combination of both military and non-military measures. The government can consider a number of concrete measures such as developing a counter-narrative campaign to encourage and amplify those actively denouncing terrorism. As the public opinion seems to have turned against militancy, the government must leverage the environment to reverse the tide of militancy.

Muhammad Ismail

Chiniot