Peace in Fata too?

Fata, which was once a part of Afghanistan, is still affected by developments in that country; whatever happens in Afghanistan has a resonance in Fata and events there have a direct bearing on it.
In other words when Afghanistan is at peace Fata remains peaceful too but when Afghanistan is in trouble Fata becomes uneasy and difficult as well. Developments such as the Soviet invasion, the Taliban uprising and the US occupation bear testimony to this – each one left its mark on our tribal areas.
Negative developments in Afghanistan have a direct fallout on our side of the border. But whether positive developments, like the change of guard in the Helmand province of Afghanistan where foreign forces have handed over control of the province to Afghan security forces, will have a similar effect is something we have to wait on. The reaction of our rulers is an important factor in that equation. We have to see if they have learnt any lesson from the American experience in Afghanistan that wars cannot be won through military means alone.
To win a war of the type being fought in our tribal areas the military must have the support of the people residing in that area but in our case we did not pay any heed to this – making them IDPs and rendering them totally incapable of contributing to the war effort. We made them beggars in the slums of nearby cities by throwing them out of their houses due to the ill-conceived policies of those who make decisions for them in complete isolation without consulting them or caring for their welfare.
Many still believe that the war which was imposed upon us was not ours to wage. It was someone else’s war but was cleverly extended to our tribal areas so that they have a scapegoat in case things go wrong. They succeeded in their designs and made us fight our own people through militants (who were jihadis earlier when fighting against the Soviets) when they crossed over to our side of the border. Instead of admitting their folly of not being able to stop them from crossing over or eliminating them within Afghanistan they asked us to do that job on our side which we gladly accepted and now are paying the price for.
Then followed drone attacks. These came after we were accused of not killing but abetting militants. The attacks were justified on the plea that the militants were capable of harming US interests inside Afghanistan and elsewhere. By what justification does any state have the right to go for extrajudicial killings and that too in a third country thereby violating its international border via the newly developed technology of drones? Was that not meant to entangle Pakistan in a war that was not possible to win only through military might?
After trying desperately for thirteen long years to win the war the US realised its inability to do so and started to leave Afghanistan. By the end of this year it will have withdrawn all its troops from there except a residuary force of around 12,000 soldiers who will ensure that the system installed by it does not collapse immediately.
If the twelve-year long war that we fought in Fata could not eliminate the menace of militancy how much longer are we going to fight this faceless enemy? Is there any probability that we will win if we continue fighting like this for a few more years? Should we not learn from the American experience and realise that victory cannot be achieved through military means alone?
The time has come for Pakistan to reconsider its options in Fata particularly in view of the fact that most of the ‘foreign elements’ causing trouble have left the area. If the US can leave Afghanistan and hand over responsibility for security of that country to the Afghans what prevents us from doing the same in our tribal areas? Why can’t we hand over responsibility for security of the area to the people who live there – as it was in the past?
Similarly, if Dr Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Dr Abdullah Abdullah, arch rivals, can mend fences for the sake of their country why can't we sit together with our own people and look for a durable and permanent solution to the problem that we have been facing for so long.
The devastation that has been caused to Fata is colossal. The process of rehabilitation will take years and consume resources far beyond our expectations. Along with that, rehabilitation of the IDPs (read: intentionally destroyed people) in areas already cleared by the forces is an urgent requirement and must be done without further delay. Winning the hearts and minds of these people, who have suffered immeasurably, is not an easy task. It is much more difficult than launching an operation in that area.
To find a satisfactory end to the war we have to chalk out a well-thought-out plan to ensure that the problem of militancy does not resurface. The best way for that is to engage with the people for resolving their problems, to repose confidence in them and to empower them so that they are able to take timely decisions for nipping the evil of militancy in the bud. In South Waziristan a somewhat similar exercise is underway through the elders of the Mehsud tribe with all elements of the TTP belonging to that tribe. This is the best way for a peaceful solution to the problem.
The government seems to have realised, though rather late in the day, the right course of action. The people of those areas had continued to plead for this all along but the government would not listen. It is encouraging to see that the right course of action is now being followed for resolving the problem. One can only hope that a similar course of action will be taken in other tribal agencies as well with full sincerity and willingness to stand solidly behind the tribes; otherwise it will be as futile an exercise as the formation of tribal lashkars in various parts of Fata in the past.
The writer is a former ambassador.
Email: waziruk@hotmail.com