Sararogha: The first thing that strikes when you are driving into South Waziristan is the contradiction between the prevalent peace and the rugged tribal environment.
Long considered an illaqa ghair (an area outside the jurisdiction of law and authority), South Waziristan has come a long way.
For one, until 2009 when the Pakistan Army launched a military operation by the name of Rahe-Nijat, this was a no-go area under the virtual control of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) headed by Baitullah Mehsud at the time, who was killed by a drone strike in August the same year.
The intensive military operation of 40,000 troops against the TTP has left its mark. But today, there is peace and stability to an extent that one feels safer here than in the larger metropolises.
South Waziristan is the southern most agency of the seven that constitute Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas bordering Afghanistan. While its sister agency, North Waziristan is yet to face a military operation, what is important to bear in mind is that a similar environment existed here only a few years back.
Complete turnaround
The biggest surprise in itself is that the Mehsud area is weapons-free (the Mehsud tribe constitutes 63 per cent of the population dominating the northern parts of the agency.) This is a ground reality that speaks volumes for the complete turnaround South Waziristan has witnessed.
None of the Mehsud tribesmen one encountered in the villages carried any weapons.
The biggest success no doubt was in persuading these proud tribesmen to give up their arms, that figured prominently in their culture as a symbol of influence and pride, not to forget self-defence.
Any initial resistance or hesitance has now been overtaken by the incentives in terms of monetary compensation and security guarantees the military has provided.
While regular check posts and a military presence are a constant reminder of the violent conflict the area witnessed, these are essential. On an exclusive visit to a mountainous military base near Shabozai village, approximately 12km from Sararogha, at a height of 1,828 metres (6,000 feet) one is able to comprehend the challenge faced by the security forces to keep the insurgents at bay in this extremely difficult terrain.
The same terrain stretches into North Waziristan and towards the Afghan border, getting more difficult to traverse as it gains height. Ground intelligence is an important component of maintaining security here and it is something the security forces have cultivated with good effect.
As Brigadier Hayat of the 40th Division, commanding Sararogha and adjacent area puts it: “If the army had not stepped in when it did things would have been far worse…10 or 20 years on, this area would have spoken for something else, maybe an autonomous region.”
Looking at the success in South Waziristan, one question that comes to mind is why has North Waziristan so far been left on the back-burner.
It is allegedly hosting many TTP remnants and affiliated groups as well as foreign militants of Afghan, Central Asian and Arab origin. Significantly, it is deemed pivotal to the war in Afghanistan because of linkages with the Afghan insurgency.
Pakistan has been under tremendous pressure to wage an operation in North Waziristan. A lot of preparation is needed to create a conducive environment and ensure logistical and strategic support. When that happens is a question that the next political government can answer after elections in May.
The lessons from the success of clearing South Waziristan however must not be wasted. The Taliban was able to garner support because the region had remained neglected over decades.
The frustration and anger with the political administration and lack of resources and facilities may have proved cataclysmic in the end.
It is hoped that this serves as a reminder in the long term. For now the call for rebuilding ‘Waziristan better than before’ seems to have resonated well across this magnificent landscape whose legendary resistance has finally been tamed with the respect it deserves.
