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TROOPS in Pakistan have eventually launched a major operation against the foreign militants and their protectors in South Waziristan Agency. War planes and helicopter gunships bombed their hide-outs—the other day.

In view of the deliberate wrangling by the militants, and their protectors over the registration issue and their unprovoked attack on Pakistan’s security forces, the military operation had become inevitable.

The Government of Pakistan has given a long rope to them to respect the Shakai Accord, which had provided an opening for peaceful resolution of the crisis. Pakistan’s offer to the militants to register themselves according to the law of land and live peacefully or leave its territory was fair enough.

There is nothing unusual about Pakistan’s demand because no country permits aliens to stay on its soil without proper documentation. It is, however, unfortunate that the militants and their protectors have opted to back out on their commitments under the Shakai Accord and opted to resort to an open conflict with Pakistan’s Armed Forces.

Attack on the Pakistani check posts in Wana area and the ambush of the Corps Commander’s convoy in Karachi are seemingly inter-related acts of terrorism. The fact is that Pakistan Army has been compelled to launch the military operations after exhausting every effort to resolve the issue of registration through the established political system of the Tribal Areas, Jirgas were activated and Lashkars were constituted to deal with the situation amicably, which was a manifestation of Pakistan Government’s determination to convince the foreign militants and their protectors to take advantage of its offer to avoid bloodshed.

It is, however, deplorable that they have not responded positively and instead launched bloody attack on Pakistani check posts and ambushed the Corps Commander’s convoy.

Let there, however, be no illusion in their mind about Pakistan’s commitment to banish terrorists from its soil. Pakistan should therefore, pursue the operation vigorously with full force till the elimination of the foreign militants, who have made every effort to destabilize Pakistan and to tarnish its image internationally. They will have to respect Pakistan’s laws, customs and traditions—if at-all they want to live on within the territorial limits of this sanctified domain.

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