Operation Raddul Fasaad: What is it about?

The Pakistan Army recently launched the 'Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad' across the country. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, Radd-ul-Fasaad — which translates roughly to 'elimination of mischief/ strife — will aim at indiscriminately eliminating the "residual/latent threat of terrorism", consolidating the gains made in other military operations, and further ensuring the security of Pakistan's borders.

The Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Civil Armed Forces (CAF) and other security and law enforcing agencies (LEAs) will actively participate in and 'intimately support' the armed forces' efforts to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country, the ISPR statement added.

"The effort entails conduct of Broad Spectrum Security/ Counter-Terrorism (CT) operations by Rangers in Punjab, continuation of ongoing operations across the country, and focus on more effective border security management," the ISPR said.

"Countrywide de-weaponisation and explosive control are additional cardinals of the effort. Pursuance of National Action Plan will be the hallmark of this operation," it added.

In 2014, the Operation Zarb-i-Azb was launched in North Waziristan along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which was hugely successful and was appreciated throughout the world for eliminating terrorism. Now comes the Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, which will be carried out across the country.

It should be noted that the operation has been launched following a spate of terror attacks in the country. These terror attacks do not mean that the earlier Operation Zarb-i-Azb was lacking; that operation had focused on North Waziristan and successfully eliminated the hub of terrorism. However, every such operation needs a follow-up, especially when terrorists are infiltrating into the country across the long and porous border and have facilitators and supporters still present within the borders. The new operation will successfully throw a spanner in the working of terrorists and destroy their scattered and covert command and control structures and ability to launch cohesive attacks. It aims at wiping out concealed terrorism ecosystem, supported by the NDS and RAW, and fully address the security question in the country.

As expected, serious introspection and proper planning have gone into the Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad. Also, it should be noted that the objectives of Radd-ul-Fasaad have been laid bare and there are no ambiguities involved in it. The top military leadership will calibrate the pace and intensity of the operations.

The 'Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad' has zeroed in on the crux of the problem and will eliminate the remnants of terrorists, including their facilitators, which are out to destabilize the four provinces. It will also ensure much secure borders, thus ending terrorism dynamics from evolving further in the country.