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| Swat operation: the aftermath |
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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Zubair Torwali
Where has Fazalullah gone? This is the question everybody asks when militancy in Swat is discussed. Many businessmen and traders are still reluctant to go back to their homes in Swat and to reopen their small businesses there. While Operation Rah-e-Rast is hailed within the country and abroad and cited as an example of the success of the military over militancy, those who want to see the top leadership of the TTP Swat chapter either captured or killed remain sceptical about its final success.
A couple of months ago, the people of Swat hoped that the capture or killing of Fazalullah would be an Eid gift by the military to them. But now, more than a month after Eid, no news about Fazalullah is available and his whereabouts are still shrouded in mystery. Although search operations are carried out in Swat regularly, what is missing in the news are the stories about Fazalullah and some of his commanders, such as Ibne Amin of Matta, Mohammad Alam alias commander Khalil of Fatepur and the most vocal Shah Dauran, who would threaten people via FM radio. Some say that Shah Dauran has been killed but most people remain unconvinced.
There is no denying that the successful offensive against the Taliban of Swat has restored the credibility of the Pakistan military. Before Operation Rah-e-Rast, the people of Swat had lost all hope that the state would ever come to their rescue. Now they are mostly happy with the Pakistan Army. When armed militants were roaming about freely on the streets with their heads held high, a general perception was prevalent in the valley that the state had lost the game and had eventually left Swat at their mercy. The militants were also in high spirits. Many of their foot soldiers were heard saying that it was now their government and Pakistan had ceased to exist in Swat.
The military has done its job to a great extent. But the civil administration in Swat seems much too slow. For instance, no significant work on rehabilitation has begun. Even the rubble of the destroyed schools and other buildings is lying where it was. In addition, people have felt no positive change. The officers and the junior staff still display their usual behaviour of causing delays and make lame excuses. The revenue department -- in Swat most of the court cases are with this department -- still remains inefficient and corrupt. The people of upper Swat, which is rich in precious timber and 60 per cent of the timber revenue goes to the area people, are still in the grip of the revenue staff, from the Patwari to the district officers. Thanks to the corruption and delaying tactics of these officials, the people living there have many never-ending feuds. They hoped that things, particularly the attitude of the officials, would have undergone some change after the tragic events of the recent past, but it seems that corruption has become second nature to these officials.
Another major issue in the area is the treatment of captured militants. Law experts are better qualified to comment on this, but to a layman it seems that there is a vacuum in the law of the land regarding how to deal with the militants. The high courts often order the release of held militants because of the lack of proper evidence. News about their release triggers doubts and fears. This vacuum is perhaps one cause for the alleged extra-judicial killings in Swat. Human rights campaigners need to pay attention to this. The people of Swat would love to see the militants punished severely as they simply cannot afford to see them rise again.
Meanwhile, the provincial government looks towards the federal government to act while the latter is entangled in all kinds of other issues which are considered by the Swatis as less important in this period of turmoil when the country is experiencing the worst rise in terrorism. The PPP government is able to find the time to establish a committee on the NRO but it does not feel the need to set up a committee for the rehabilitation of Swat and Malakand division. Mere announcements make a bigger mess of the situation. The so-called opposition is also entangled in peripheral issues. In fact, many in the opposition find it difficult to even condemn militancy in the country.
The ration distribution by the World Food Programme and its partner organisations in Swat is also in a mess. The distribution points are far less than are needed and those that exist are unevenly spread across the district. There exists no single distribution point beyond Mingora for the people of Matta, Khawazakhela, Fatepur, Madyan, Bahrain and Kalam along with the large population living in small villages from Mingora to Kalam on both sides of the Swat River. People who come to pick up their ration at these points spend two or three days there and experience many problems.
Registration at the swift centers of NADRA also presents a picture of mismanagement and negligence. There are too few centres for the number of people. The existing points are so crowded that women cannot get their turn for days. As many people in Swat live in villages which are at some distance from the trading hubs, they cannot afford to come either for the registration for the national identity cards or for their ration from the distribution points. Ration and the registration points need to be set up in every major town of Swat to provide some service for the war-weary people of Swat. There are also fears that because another full-fledged operation, Rah-e-Nijat, is under way against militants in South Waziristan the people of Swat will be forgotten by the government.
The writer is a freelance analyst based in Swat. Email: angeltorwali@gmail.com
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ISSN 1563-9479 
