Afia Ambreen
Pakistan Army launched Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad across the country. Radd-ul-Fasaad which translates to ‘elimination of discord’ will aim at indiscriminately eliminating the “residual/latent threat of terrorism”, consolidating the gains made in other military operations, and further ensuring the security of Pakistan’s borders. Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Civil Armed Forces (CAF) and other security and law enforcing agencies (LEAs) will actively participate in and ‘intimately support’ the armed forces’ efforts to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country. The announcement followed a meeting in Lahore between Chief of Armed Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa, the corps commanders of Punjab, the director general of Pakistan Rangers Punjab, and the heads of intelligence agencies.
Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad was announced in the aftermath of a fresh resurgence in terror attacks in Pakistan. On Feb 21, security forces killed three suicide attackers who attempted to wreak havoc at a local court in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Charsadda district. The attack had killed five civilians and was claimed by the proscribed Jamaat-ul-Ahraar (JuA). On Feb 16, the shrine of Sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan was struck by a suicide bomber affiliated with the militant Islamic State. The worst in the recent flurry of militant activity in Pakistan, it saw at least 88 killed and more than 300 injured after a suicide bomber targeted devotees during the evening dhamaal. Earlier the same day, an explosive device had targeted an Army convoy in the Awaran area of Balochistan, killing three soldiers. On Feb 15, a suicide bomber had struck in Mohmand, killing three personnel of the Khasadar force and five civilians. This attack was also claimed by the JuA. The same day, a suicide bomber rammed his motorcycle into a vehicle carrying judges in Peshawar’s Hayatabad Phase 5 area, killing the driver and injuring its four other occupants. This attack was claimed by the TTP. On Feb 13, a suicide bomber had struck a protest on Lahore’s Charing Cross interchange, killing 13 and injuring 85. The attack had happened right outside the gates of Punjab’s Provincial Assembly. The attack was claimed by the JuA. On the same day, two personnel of Balochistan’s bomb disposal squad were killed as they attempted to defuse an explosive device planted under the Sariab Road bridge in Quetta.
It is pertinent to mention that Operation Radd-ul-Fasad has been announced as a continuation of the National Action Plan (NAP), the ISPR said in its notification. NAP had been formulated after the devastating attack on Army Public School Peshawar in December 2014. As part of the plan, military courts were established to fast-track terrorism cases. Intelligence-based operations across the country were initiated to disrupt and destroy terror networks in urban and rural areas. The plan had also laid an emphasis on curtailing terror financing. NAP had also promised to take action against seminaries involved in militancy, but the government had dithered on bringing them under control, apparently for fear of backlash from religious parties as well as militants. The plan further envisaged countering hate speech and extremist material through the powers vested in the provincial police and other authorities. PEMRA and other regulatory authorities were tasked with checking and banning glorification of terrorism and militant groups through print and electronic media. The drafting of the Electronic Media Code of Conduct was also a positive step. The provinces were further instructed under NAP to raise a counter-terrorism force under a dedicated command structure.
Before this operation Zarb-e-Azb has been launched successfully which accentuated positive effect on Pakistan’s security, stability and progress. The mega project of $ 42 billion CPEC was initiated after satisfactory security situation in Pakistan. With defeating terrorism, the Pakistan Armed Forces have gifted the nation with the peace that guarantees prosperity under CPEC. It has not only paved the way for a promising future but has also restored the confidence of a nation that was shattered by the terror waves during these two decades. With the output of the operation praised worldwide, all the strategic stakeholders in the region should now be left with little doubt about the sheer sincerity of Pakistan in fighting the menace of terrorism.
Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad has been a ray of hope after all the turmoil taking place in the country. The government has taken serious initiatives in handling only some of the problems mentioned in the NAP. However, there is still a long way to go as all the ministries are not functioning efficiently; the officials are not interested and proper methodical game-plan is not designed. It’s about time the government starts working on the aspects that are not covered, otherwise like many others, the NAP will also be another failure in the history of Pakistan.
