The document discusses the impact of ongoing military operations in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. It notes that drone strikes and operations have displaced hundreds of thousands of people from the region and deprived them of normal lives. Nearly one million Mehsud and Burki tribesmen have borne the brunt of the ongoing Operation Rah-e-Nijat, launched in 2009, and have suffered problems as internally displaced persons for over four years. The operations have negatively impacted education and livelihoods in the region. The document argues that military operations are no longer an effective solution due to the immense suffering they cause residents, and calls for alternative approaches and an end to the long-running Operation Rah-e-Nij

1. 11/26/2017 Military operation: a mistaken panaceaa - Daily Times
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Drone strikes, military operations and the Taliban insurgency have collectively deprived
tribesmen of the pleasure of life in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. The
people have been compelled to leave the areas due to the precarious situation and military
operations. Drone and gunship helicopters have been terrorising and displacing hundreds of
thousands of people from South Waziristan, Orakzai, Khyber and other agencies.
Operation Rah-e-Nijat (path of salvation) started by the Pakistan security forces and backed by
the political leadership in October 2009 — still not culminated — achieved its goals in South
Waziristan. Nearly one million Mehsud and Burki tribesmen bore the brunt of the ongoing
operation. These internally displaced people (IDP) have been suffering from many problems in
the camp areas for the last four and a half years. Long queues for sub-standard food items
(rations), discrimination, harassment by security forces at check posts and plundering of their
houses are still existential challenges for the IDPs.
Time and again they have protested against the injustices by the government, security agencies
and obnoxious behaviour of non-governmental organisations. But the responses of the
authorities compelled them to protest in front of national leaders as well as national and
international media in Islamabad. The IDPs even camped in front of the Islamabad Press Club
with a charter of demands to attract the attention of the government towards their miseries.
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Military operation: a mistaken panaceaa
Khan Zeb Burki
APRIL 26, 2016
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People from different walks of life including political leaders from the opposition benches, civil
society, business and lawyers’ fraternity, and students express solidarity with them for the
ful ilment of their demands.
The IDPs demanded stopping drone attacks, ending military operation in the region,
rehabilitation of all the displaced people, compensation for the damages in licted upon them due
to the military operation, accountability and audit of funds allocated for their constituency, free
education to the children of affectees, abolishing harassment of people by security agencies,
recovery of missing persons and employment in all developmental work in the region.
Voices against drone strikes have been raised from every corner of the country, and even the
international community has expressed its reservations on the legality of drone strikes in the
tribal areas of Pakistan. The Obama administration ignored international law and respect for the
sovereignty of other states by increasing drone strikes in Pakistan, which were started by
George Bush. The US, the so-called champion of human rights, is continuously violating the same
by killing innocent children, men and women in its drone strikes.
Operation Rah-e-Nijat is not the irst operation of its kind launched in Waziristan; the region has
been observing many operations since 2002-3 like Operation Mizan, Zalzala, etc, and the most
disturbing one in terms of displacement of people and destruction is Operation Rah-e-Nijat,
which is spread in a vast area for a long span of time. An estimated 60,000 houses, markets and
education institutions have been affected due to the ongoing military operation. After returning
to their hometowns, the displaced families will not be able to reconstruct their houses with the
announced meagre amount of Rs 25,000 or 30,000.
The audit and accountability of the fund allocated for the IDPs and their rehabilitation should be
done fairly. Politically this area has no representation in Parliament, and the developmental
funds allocated for it are being diverted to other projects.
Unemployed youth is vulnerable to falling easy prey to extremism. The developmental works
and subsequent job creation in the area will contribute in bringing peace in the region. The local
workforce should be inducted in mega projects like Gomal Zam Dam, which will enable the poor
segment of society to earn their livelihood with dignity and respect.
The most devastating impact of the operation is the educational plight of the youth and children,
where nearly 43,000 students enrolled in more than 400 educational institutions are deprived of
this right. Accordingly, the new generation is going ‘lame to the end of life’ with psychological
impacts on their mind. The government has not made any alternative system to educate these
children in the displaced areas. Education emergency with an honest effort in the tribal region
may secure the future of this generation. The psychological effects and losses of life in the tribal
region are irreparable.
The demand for the release of missing persons is also linked with the ending of operations in the
tribal belt. Last month, Attorney General Irfan Qadir revealed in front of the Supreme Court that,
“There are about 700 people detained in the tribal areas and they cannot be released until the
ongoing military operation in those regions concludes.” If the government issues a list of the
detained suspected people, it would let the families know about their missing beloved ones for
whom they have been searching for years. The detained suspected militant should be given the
right of a free and fair trial.
Military operations are being considered the sole tool to root out militancy from the
constitutionally deprived tribal areas, but this panacea is no more a practical phenomenon due
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to their subsequent miserable effects. Hence most of the problems are caused by the operations
in the tribal belt and their solutions are linked with the conclusion of operations in the area. The
longstanding operation Rah-e-Nijat should be ended at the earliest so that the people take a sigh
of relief and comfort.
The writer is a tribal affairs analyst and can be reached at waziristan@usa.com
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