Pakistan's Army Now Has The Mandate To Destroy Militants In The Bajaur Tribal Region

(Click To Enlarge)

Pakistan's Fresh Resolve In Latest Battle Against Taliban
-- Christian Science Monitor

The Army has a mandate to continue its offensive in the Bajaur tribal area until it's won.

Islamabad, Pakistan - For Pakistan, moments of success have been few in the fight in its northwestern tribal area against members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

But with militants there carrying out increasingly brazen attacks in Pakistan's cities, and stirring trouble in Afghanistan – prompting the United States to pressure Pakistan to act – Pakistan appears to be taking its home-grown terrorist threat more seriously.

There is cautious hope among military planners and observers here that the current military offensive in Bajaur – one of seven districts in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas – will be a much-needed turning point in Pakistan's war against domestic militancy.

In previous FATA offensives, the Army has stopped partway through and signed truces that ultimately allowed militants to regroup.

This time the Army has orders to fight until they control the area, says Ikram Sehgal, the publisher of Defence Journal who served in FATA as an Army major. "They're operating with a clear mandate now, which makes all the difference," he says.

Read more ....

My Comment: From the outside looking in, it appears that the Pakistani Government is finally trying to get a handle on the lawlessness in its tribal regions. I hope they will succeed.