Pakistan is on the right path

The recent terrorist attack on a Pakistani Air Force base in Badaber left many people to ponder the road to success for the ongoing military operation. It is imperative that the world recognises Pakistan as a victim of the US-led war on terror, and ultimately an unfortunate inheritor of the war’s consequences. No other country has had to bear as much brunt of war as Pakistan has, especially in terms of casualties and economy.

Since the onset of the war, several terror groups have sprouted into existence on the basis of either ethnic or religious morals as their core fundamentals and principals are aiming to disrupt peace and the balance of power. Corrupting young vulnerable minds and luring them into war, coupled with sectarian feuds and cross-border threats, the security situation in Pakistan has taken a dive from bad to worse. Throughout the years, Pakistan has had to tackle and contain terrorism at several fronts, however, the goal is simple; eradication of all terror-related groups, whether home-grown or foreign-infiltrated.

It was only after the Peshawar school massacre that the Pakistani administration understood that it had to up the ante and step up its aggression towards the terrorists. As a result, Pakistan’s military pushed deeper and harder into the lawless and tribal areas where such terror groups had usually found refuge and solitude. As a result, the majority of these ‘no-go areas’ have become secure.

The military operation has only just begun but its effectiveness is apparent as the frequency and intensity of terror-related attacks have decreased. The attack on the Badaber base was contained within a few hours, unlike previous ones which had the army engaged in hour-long battles.

It goes without saying that the operation still has a long way to go, however, its effectiveness and commitment cannot be understated.

— The reader is a Pakistani project engineer based in Abu Dhabi