Panetta’s hints
August 16, 2012
In the last two weeks, the grapevine in Pakistan has been buzzing with the question of whether or not the Pakistan Army will launch a military offensive in North Waziristan. It all began with an August 3 report in The Wall Street Journal, which alleged that US and Pakistani officials were considering joint counter-terrorism campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan. While Pakistan’s instinctive response was to unequivocally deny the media leaks, as the days passed it tweaked its position somewhat and said “coordinated actions” on respective sides of the Pakistan-Afghan border were already ongoing but should not be mistaken for “joint operations.” A few days later, a Pakistani security official urged US and Nato forces to seal the Afghan border from their side if Pakistan launched an operation against the militants. Following this was the army chief’s address at the Azadi Parade at Kakul, calling for national unity “in the battle against terrorism.” Together, such statements have been interpreted as indicating that a military operation in North Waziristan may be imminent. But while the whole truth remains clouded by rumour and contradiction, US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has come out and claimed that the offensive will be launched soon and will target Taliban fighters who launch attacks on Pakistan and not the Haqqani network. According to Panetta, Pakistan’s military leadership has already given its word about the planned operation in recent conversations with the top American commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen.
This is not the first time the rumour mill has gone into overdrive about a possible military offensive in North Waziristan. We’ve been hearing that Pakistan is considering launching an offensive since the spring of 2010, and have seen intermittent reports about “surgical raids.” In May 2011, the Pakistan Army revealed that it would soon launch “a careful and meticulous military offensive” in North Waziristan. Of course, no such offensive took place and here we are now, more than a year and a half later, back to square one, asking whether or not an operation will be initiated soon. While there is no gainsaying that half-hearted measures in North Waziristan will not be in the interest of Pakistan, rushing into a full-blown military offensive due to pressure from the Americans could also turn out to be counterproductive. Already it is disheartening to hear Panetta claim that the Pakistani army has given its word about the operation to General Allen. What about Pakistan’s civilian government? What about its parliament, which has of late claimed to be the driver of foreign policy decision-making? Are the civilian players in on these new developments? Any operation of any kind in North Waziristan will be a major event and one that necessarily requires sharing of wisdom and responsibility. Just like consensus was generated on Operation Rah-i-Rast in Swat, creating the extraordinary enabling conditions to deliver a decisive blow to militancy there, consensus is required in the case of North Waziristan too. No single actor can take the decision on such a sensitive operation alone.
Minorities and migration
August 16, 2012
The issue of the migration by some 200 Hindu families from Jacobabad to India remains a controversial one. Certain Hindu leaders and human rights activists have claimed that members of the community were fleeing Sindh because of the law and order situation and fear of forcible conversions. Threse claims have been vehemently denied by the authorities who had formed a three-member committee to probe the incidents. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said inquiries show there is no truth in the matter and that the Hindus have gone merely on a brief pilgrimage. Interior Minister Rehman Malik has – in typical fashion – declared the whole affair a conspiracy while the General Hindu Panchayat at Larkana has said the community is confident the Pakistan government can protect it, and its members will not be leaving the country.
If true, this is good news. We certainly want our minorities to stay and feel confident they have a place in this country. The matter was even referred to indirectly by COAS general Ashfaq Pervez Kayani in his Independence Day message in which he said Pakistan should be a homeland for all communities and groups. But we cannot deny that minorities, and particularly Hindus, have faced persecution over the past few decades. This has been pointed out by the autonomous Human Rights Commission of Pakistan while reacting to the news of the forced migration. Hindus have faced more abductions, more harassment and more threats in recent years than at any time in the past in both Sindh and Balochistan. As a result, many have indeed fled. What we need to do is create an environment more conducive to all minorities and make sure they are made to feel equal citizens of the state. It is unfortunate that even in areas of Sindh, where Hindus and Muslims have lived in harmony for centuries, tensions have recently begun to creep in. Steps need to be taken to tackle this problem and ensure more Hindus or other groups do not feel compelled to leave their country.