Revisiting the Swat operation

The Swat Operation began eight years ago on May 16, 2009. The operation was necessitated following inhuman practices adopted by Maulvi Fazlullah, the son-in-law of Sufi Muhammad, and his cohorts in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in the name of Islam. These included beheading of common people, kidnappings for ransom, abduction of women, robbing private properties, attacks on security forces personnel, interference in government functions and what not. The criminals portrayed themselves as they had trappings and privileges of legitimacy. The merger of crime and terrorism had moved into a new phase.  

The people of the area and those throughout Pakistan supported the armed forces in the operation that countered the TTP and its obnoxious practices of vengeful nature that had nothing to do with the religion. Also, the political parties in the country, through an all-parties conference (APC), pledged to unite the nation against insurgency and terrorism in these regions.

Within three months, Pakistan’s armed forces successfully tackled the threat posed by the foreign-funded and Indian RAW sponsored terrorists in Buner, Dir, Swat and other adjoining areas and successfully ejected them.

On April 26, 2009, the Operation Black Thunderstorm-I began in Lower Dir. By April 28, the district was largely cleared of terrorists and their efforts stymied. The second phase of the operation was in Buner, which was cleared within a week’s time. The third phase saw intense fighting in Swat, which was also cleared of terrorists’ presence. The Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Air Force also participated in the operation aimed at restoring the government’s writ and sovereignty over these mountainous areas.

In all, the Pakistani armed forces fought valiantly against the anonymous fanatical gunmen and terrorists and ended their reign from the areas, eliminating their roots. The foreign war colleges have studied the Swat battle and have been struck by the professionalism of the operation.

The quick win in a new kind of warfare was highly acclaimed. The war colleges learnt that strategic threat to national security has to be forcefully countered, aggression of terrorist outfits has to be pre-empted and that wars are not won by good defences. New tactics were used in the asymmetric warfare, enriching the experiences of the battle-hardened Pakistani forces, which further developed and refined the capacity to counter foreign state-sponsored terror attacks.

Finally, as a result of the operation, the terrorists' capabilities in the area were measurably diminished. The operation was highly successful as it effectively ended the terrorists’ writ from Swat and adjoining areas. It clearly demonstrated the nation’s commitment and strategic intent to regional peace and stability. Later, the displaced people returned to their homes.

The repulsive belligerence of chubby Mullah Fazlullah was ruined once and for all.