The Punjab operation fiasco: Is it, or is it not?
Military Operation finally launched on full scale on COAS directive
Dunya News Report (Talha Ul Huda)
In September last year, the Chief Of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif called upon the prime minister Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif to express his concerns over the rising militant culture in Punjab, the exponential growth in the influence of banned outfits and several discord incidents, and suggested a military ‘clean-sweep’ similar to the rangers-led operation in Karachi. This proposal was backed with the remarks about the provincial government and security forces not being capable and sufficiently equipped.
This suggestion was met with cautious remarks by the federal government but a profound refusal by the provincial government. The chief minister Shahbaz Sharif rejected this proposal by stating that there wasn’t ‘a need dire enough’ and if there were to be an operation in Punjab ‘it would be carried out by the Punjab Police special task force’. The Chief Minister also stated that the Punjab security forces are apt and capable enough to deter any internal or external threat.
In January 2016, the provincial law minister Rana SanaUllah made contradictory remarks about the situation, stating that there was no plan nor requirement for any such operation and proclaimed this matter to be ‘baseless’.
On February 18th a high-level meeting took place in Lahore, which was attended by the Prime Minister Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Director General Inter-Services Intelligence Lieutenant General Rizwan Akhtar and Corps Commander Lahore Lieutenant General Sadiq Ali. In this assemblage, the plans for the operation against banned outfits in Punjab were discussed. The territories and authorities of the security forces were demarcated and an immediate execution was agreed upon.
According to a report, in the week following this assemblage, covert operations were conducted through 17 districts of Punjab, which included some residential raids.
On March 27th, a suicide bomber blew himself up in the midst of a bustling crowd of innocent civilians in an amusement park in Lahore, taking the lives of 74 men, women and children and injuring upwards of 300 others. As retaliation to this carnage, the Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif ordered the paramilitary rangers to launch a full scale operation throughout the province of Punjab to bring the security situation back in a status quo. This operation was reportedly not sanctioned by the provincial government. It was later decided in another top-brass huddle that the rangers would only operate on Intelligence indications and the police and local security forces would be kept in the loop. In the initial statistical reports, more than 200 suspected individuals were apprehended and around 500 facilitators were brought in custody as a result of intelligence directed raids.
According to media reports, there have been reservations about this operation amongst political circles in Punjab. These reservations mostly elevated from the Karachi operation’s effect on the local political spectrum.
Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has been opposing the deployment of rangers since the beginning of the Karachi operation. The powers vested to the military forces conducting these operations surpass the jurisdictions of local authorities, which is unfavorable for the ruling party. In two spaced events last year, MQM and Pakistan People’s Party’s Headquarters were raided upon and searched. Both of these incidents caused discomfort for the respective members of the parties.
The Karachi operation has produced favorable results; street crime and target killings have seen a massive decline, the security situation has improvised, the general insecurities of the public have subsided and turn-outs have been on the rise. The anterior resentment towards the rangers and the operation amongst civilians has abated radically.
Operation Zarb-e-Azb conducted by the Pakistani military forces in the North-western and tribal areas has been a tremendous success and is in its final phase. In the total duration, the Pakistani military forces have killed more than 3400 insurgents and reclaimed 374 Taliban strongholds. Most of the previously Taliban dominated areas have been cleared and secured, and are headed towards rehabilitation and restoration.
