Page 10 - The Indian EYE 071224

OPINION JULY 12, 2024 | The Indian Eye 10

Operation Azm-i-Istehkam in Pakistan:

An Assessment of plan against

extremism and terrorism

Pakistan managed to abet terrorism for decades in the name of fighting it. As a result, the rise of

terror groups and militancy has become a major security problem for Islamabad

DR. SHRABANA BARUA

n 23 June 2024, the Office
of the Prime Minister of
OPakistan (PMO) issued a
statement announcing the launch of
an operation, Azm-i-Istehkam. Its
objective was defined as “to combat
the menace of extremism and ter-
rorism in a comprehensive and deci-
sive manner.” Given that terrorism
has been on the rise in Pakistan, it
was stated that a “reinvigorated and
re-energised national counter-ter-
rorism campaign” was required. The
question is: will this operation be
different from previous operations
undertaken by Islamabad to combat
terrorism, which has so far had no
substantial impact on uprooting ter-
rorism from Pakistan at large? Many
aspects of Operation Azm-i-Isteh-
kam hint that Shehbaz Sharif’s gov-
ernment has taken this step more for
optics than for fighting terrorism.
On 8 June 2014, an attack on the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi by TTP men killed 34 people and wounded many more (File photo)

Past Picture tion Enduring Freedom in 2001 to quently, in the first quarter of 2024 national Airport in Karachi by TTP
uring Chief of Army Staff’s, overthrow the Taliban regime in Af- alone, 245 terror and counter-ter- men killed 34 people and wounded
General Kayani’s, tenure, ghanistan, capture the key leaders of ror incidents were reported in Paki- many more. A week later, Operation
DPakistan launched a series Al Qaeda and operationally destroy stan. From 26 estimated deaths due Zarb-e-Azb was launched as a “com-
of military campaigns to recapture them. It was during this period that to BLA’s terror activities in 2021 to prehensive” joint military offensive to
territories that had fallen to militant Pakistan’s deep state ended nurturing 233 recorded deaths the next year, a renew attempts against terrorism in
groups, especially in north-western the roots of terrorism even more stra- nine-fold increase was highlighted by the Northern Waziristan region. This
areas of the Federally Administered tegically than uprooting them. the Global Terrorism Index Report was said to be full-fledged kinetic ac-
Tribal Area (FATA), which com- Since the last decade, Pakistan of 2023. Pakistani state personnel, its tion with a strategy to “seek, destroy,
prised seven agencies and merged has been facing the brunt of its own army men, as well as Chinese people clear and hold.” Like some of the op-
with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa/KP in making in the form of increased ter- and their interests, have increasingly erations in the past, it impacted Pa-
2018. Operation Rah-e-Haq (2007) ror attacks across the country. This been the target of attacks in the last kistani society and people as well. By
and Rah-e-Rast (2009) in the Swat is attributed to the rise of radical Is- few years. Operation Azm-i-Isteh- September 2014, the number of in-
Valley, Operation Sirat-e-Mus- lamist groups, such as Islamic State kam is said to be a response to these ternally displaced people (IDP) had
taqeem in 2008, and Rah-e-Shaha- of Khorasan Province (ISKP), Teh- developments. reached a record one million. Sec-
dat in 2013 are examples of the time. reek-e-Taliban (TTP) and the resur- ond, on 16 December 2014, an attack
While some of them had immediate gence of insurgent and terror groups Current Assessment by TTP at the Army Public School in
trigger points in incidents of attacks like Baloch Liberation Front (BLF) Peshawar led to the massacre of 149
and kidnapping, these were project- and Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). ince 2014, two main instances people, including 132 students. On 24
ed as continuing efforts of Pakistan’s It is noted that by 2018, of an estimat- of Pakistan’s anti-terror efforts December, the National Action Plan
contribution to the US-led “war on ed 67 active terror groups around the Scan be cited. First, on 8 June (NAP) was announced to supplement
terror.” Pakistan supported Opera- world, 12 were in Pakistan. Conse- 2014, an attack on the Jinnah Inter- Continued on next page... >>

www.TheIndianEYE.com