Bloodless SWAT Operation

The dark clouds of military operation are once again looming large on Swat horizon and in anticipation of collateral damage mass exodus of local population is being envisaged. If it has to be, then such displacement of the population could be effectively made use of in eliminating the Taliban menace  in the area  and that too with much less blood shed. Government should extensively publicise using all forms of media including dropping of leaflets by air and urge all to leave the area for the camps established for such IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) who will not be more than a million or so at the camps where 3 million Afghan Refugees were accommodated for years. Strict screening and registration of such IDPs be carried out to eliminate any Taliban escaping alongwith them. Once the local populace is safe in the camps, the entire area should be sealed off.  There are not many approaches to Swat and the few roads leading to it can easily be sealed. The area should then be deprived of all utilities and facilities like electricity, P.O.L., gas, food, rations etc. It should be on the lines of old time sieges. The remnants  - mostly Taliban – will starve out in just about a month’s time and would have no option but to either surrender  or to escape to Afghanistan through the hills and mountains.  Once the area is cleared of them, the people could return and the area effectively guarded to eliminate any chances of the Taliban returning to it. 

It may sound bizarre but cannot be called impracticable. Does anyone has the will to give it a try?

Truly

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)

30, Westridge-1

Rawalpindi 46000

Tel: (051) 546 3344