The Zarb-e-Azb and after
The Army's well-planned military operations to rid North Waziristan of militants has been a major success; there is a sharp drop in acts of terrorism throughout Pakistan. The frequency of…
Zarb-e-Azb in danger of losing its way
t’s not the same as before; the zing has gone out of it. In Fata the operation is becoming a stalemate. Terrorist forces have been hit, badly hit, but they…
Zarb-e-Azb and beyond
As the Pakistani civil-military leadership looks via hindsight and takes stock of Operation Zarb-e-Azb with a sense of satisfaction, I am trying to do a bit of crystal-ball gazing as…
Zardari, Zarb-e-Azb and Malala
What is hovering over Pakistan’s politics like a dark cloud this week is Tuesday’s outburst by Asif Ali Zardari. Also this week, the first anniversary of Operation Zarb-e-Azb was celebrated…
Peshawar, Zarb-e-Azb and IDPs
Spare a thought for Afshan Ahmed, a 24-year-old teacher who stood up to the killers at the Army Public School (APS) to defend her students. They responded by dousing her…
The spirit of Zarb-e-Azb
A tersely worded press release issued by the ISPR last Sunday read: “On the directions of the government, the armed forces of Pakistan have launched a comprehensive operation against foreign…
Zarb-e-Azb, smoking and lung cancer
Zarb-e-Azb has begun. The stern military action that various circles in and outside Pakistan have demanded for years is now finally taking place. Some Pakistanis have expressed their support for…
Pakistan’s recidivist terrorism challenge
Brazen terror attacks at Bannu, Akora Khattak and the Jaffar Express have jolted an enervated nation and the Pakistani state. What the bloodbath at Police Line Peshawar two years ago…
APS and after
For a parent, the loss of a child remains a searing wound that just will not heal. And when a parent is one of many whose progeny’s lives were snuffed…
How to dismantle the terror trifecta
After the events of 9/11 and the US-led intervention in Afghanistan, more than a dozen military operations were undertaken to eradicate terrorism from Pakistan. Now, the latest surge in terrorism…
