Zarb-e-Azb a huge success

Pakistan Army’s Operation Zarb-e-Azb has been a huge success in curtailing terrorism throughout the country.
On the first anniversary of the operation, the military had destroyed 837 terrorist hideouts in North Waziristan, recovered and destroyed 253 tons of explosives, captured 18,087 weapons, conducted 9,000 intelligence-based operations and killed 2,763 militants, at the cost of 347 officers and soldiers. This had a far-reaching impact on terrorist and sectarian outfits operating throughout the country and having support bases in North Waziristan.
Then came the National Action Plan which sought to eliminate terrorists, their financiers and sympathisers in other parts of the country. The NAP was approved by the parliament following the massacre of children at the Army Public School and College in Peshawar.
There is little doubt that the Operation Zarb-e-Azb has been a huge success as it reduced to a considerable extent the daily terrorist attacks taking place in various parts of Pakistan.
Those questioning the figures of terrorists eliminated in the operation have no answer when asked why terrorist attacks suddenly reduced throughout the country once the operation got underway.
Had the terrorists and their bases in the NWA not been eliminated, the country would have been witnessing terrorism on the same large scale as before.
That apart, in a recent meeting that was convened by the government to review the progress on the National Action Plan (NAP), it was reported by the media that the focus of the meeting remained on areas where the progress of the plan was slow.
The media reported that more work was needed on action against terror financing, foreign funding of seminaries, proscribed organisations and sectarian groups, hate speeches and madrasa reforms. It was also reported that the Zarb-e-Azb and associated intelligence-based operations were not being fully complemented by other components of the 20-point National Action Plan.

Whatever the case, the sudden re-emergence of a controversial cleric of the Islamabad’s red mosque has alarmed the common people. It was reported that a large contingent of police and Rangers was deployed in the areas surrounding the Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa following a rally brought out by the concerned cleric Abdul Aziz. The rally participants shouted anti-government slogans and supported Maulana Abdul Aziz. They also demanded the enforcement of a system based on their own interpretation of Islam.
The District Magistrate of Islamabad Capital Territory issued a warning notice to the Lal Masjid cleric for taking out the rally “without informing and seeking permission from authorities, which could have jeopardised the law and order situation in Islamabad”. The notice reminded Aziz that a previous notice issued by the office of the chief commissioner of Islamabad on August 3 this year had included Aziz’s name in a watch list under the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). It stated that Aziz had submitted a surety letter to the Inspector General of Islamabad Police and he was bound to respect and cooperate with the authorities.
There is no doubt the concerned cleric is a highly controversial person. He has been involved in harbouring terrorists at the mosque which had resulted in an army operation several years ago. He had refused to condemn the massacre of children at the Peshawar Army Public School and College. It is also known that he has also been supporting the extremely radical so-called Islamic State.
The question here arises is whether the government should allow him to promote his controversial agenda in the heart of the federal capital while the National Action Plan is being implemented or concrete action should be taken against him? Whether he should be appeased like before or countered this time?
Only the top authorities in the government can tackle these questions that have alarmed the common people of the country given the bloody history of the red mosque.