Peace in Swat
February 03, 2011
In keeping with its original plan to clear the area of militants, ensure safety for a period of time, and then pull out, the Pakistan military has begun planning a withdrawal of troops from the Swat Valley. The process of transferring control to local security forces has also been initiated. The Pakistan Army has maintained a heavy presence in the Valley since its operation against the militants who had seized control of the area ended in the summer of 2009. While there have been complaints of human rights abuses by troops, local inhabitants are pleased to see the end of the terror perpetrated by the Taliban. Action against the militants seems to have been most successful in Swat, where a rehabilitation programme was initiated for teenagers who had been trained to become militants. The military also made efforts to revive cultural activities that helped restore some sense of normalcy in the area. Though it was disrupted by the floods last summer, tourism has also made a comeback in the region. For decades, tourism has been central to economic life there. Militancy put a sharp stop to tourist activity in the area, depriving locals of badly needed incomes. Not surprisingly, people here fervently hope that peace will be restored long enough for business to pick up again.
But there are warning signs. According to some recent reports, activists of the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah-e-Mohammadi may already be planning a comeback and are amassing arms toward this end. There have also been accounts suggesting the Taliban have remained present in the area. This is a situation that needs to be watched closely. There is a real danger that militants may pounce upon military withdrawal as an opportunity to return to the areas they occupied earlier. It is necessary, then, that a careful eye be kept on events in Swat. There is no room for complacency. Any Taliban return would be disastrous, not only for the people of the Valley, but for the country as a whole. There is a dire need to build the population’s confidence in the ability of authorities to defeat the militants, and keep them at bay. Without first establishing good governance in Swat, not much else can be achieved in Swat or elsewhere.
<><><><><>