Pakistan

Military victory is in sight, but we are paying a very heavy price for the same in terms of over 22.5 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Scarcity of resources, poor governance and management, looting and plundering, and a number of other ills prevalent in our society and our government, it is no less than a dream that these IDPs will ever be able to fall back to their homes as satisfied citizens. Most of these are going to find themselves deprived off their house hold belongings and their means of earnings. Some others may have to even reconstruct their houses destroyed by bombing during the battle. The life is going to start afresh for them confronting heavy odds. There is a need for our government to plan the resettlement of these IDPs in an orderly manner so that the military victory against Taliban is also converted into a social and political victory by winning the hearts and minds of the IDPs. If the same is not done, the seeds of another kind of Talibanization would be sown to grow quickly and pose similar threat some other time in the near future.

Pakistan army deserves to be complimented for recovering the kidnapped students and staff of Cadet College Razmak within hours of the sad incident. Taliban kidnapped the students and staff, travelling in buses, on their way home for Summer vacation. It happened about twenty miles away from Bannu yesterday evening. Army quickly came into action. The speed with which it was able to trace and recover all kidnapped unhurt within twelve hours is highly commendable. Despite the fact that the situation of security is very bad and Taliban are executing the killings and kidnappings at will all over Pakistan, it is reassuring that all is not lost yet an that we can beat the menace of Taliban.

Freedom of media, freedom of speech and lack of coordination among army, provincial and federal governments are adding fuel to the fire in terms of the miseries faced by IDPs of Swat region. Watching different government officials' statements on the electronic media, hundreds of IDPS left their tents in the refugee camps and started moving towards their homes only to find barricades stopping them and soldiers telling them to get back. There have even been instances where IDPs reached their homes to find Taliban welcoming them and mistreating them. Such irresponsible statements have come from supposedly responsible officials including Mr. Rehman Malik, Federal Home Minisiter. It's a pity. If government can't alleviate the miseries of IDP, we should, at least, not add to their sufferings.

Pakistan has launched a full fledged military operation in Swat region to root out Taliban. It is generally perceived that the religious schools known as Madrassahs opened by various religious parties are the breeding grounds of these Taliban. All madrassahs may not be party to it but some, certainly, are. It's an open secret that there are certain madrassahs and related offices in Pakistan where the government officials can't even enter, what to talk of, their ability to monitor the activities in such areas. Musharraf tried to register these madrassahs but had to ultimate back track for fear of reaction from the proreligious parties. If there is nothing wrong taking place in madrassahs, why should their administrations oppose the registration. It is fair to infer that the writ of state doesn't exist in the madrassahs. Will the Army have to launch more operations to establish writ of state in these madassahs?

A suicide car-bomber drove into a Pakistani military convoy on Saturday. 25 soldiers and police personnel were killed besides two passers-by, and 65 others were wounded. The incident took place, 190 km (120 miles) west of Islamabad. Seven out of the 65 wounded were said to be in a critical condition. About eight vehicles in the convoy were destroyed.

A spokesman for Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud said militants would continue its attacks on security forces.
"It was retaliation for the U.S. drone strikes and security forces will have to see more attacks because our people have suffered many losses in the missile attacks," Hakimullah Mehsud said by telephone from an undisclosed location.

President Asif Ali Zardari told aid donors on Friday he would step up the fight against militants and said defeat for nuclear-armed Pakistan would be a defeat for the world.
His nation is a vital U.S. ally in its efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.