COUNTER TERRORISM STRATEGIES IN PAKISTAN: A CASE STUDY OF OPERATION ZARB-E-AZB

Abstract

The tribal areas of Pakistan attracted international attention after the 9/11 episode because these areas are considered to house remnants of Al Qaeda and its affiliates. Pakistan’s federally administered tribal areas (FATA) have become the blood of Pakistan as the insurgency formulated in the area two decades ago has now surrounded the entire country. The War on Terror in Afghanistan forced the militants to flee there and take shelter across the Durand Line in the Pakistani tribal areas. With the support of local tribal militants, militancy increased. The US government presses the Pakistani government to stop the militants living in the FATA region and destroy the supporters of Al-Qaeda. This exploratory and descriptive study aims to identify the many types of militancy that exist in Pakistan and their varying levels of intensity and contributing variables. After Zarb e Azb, terrorists' operations and strongholds in Pakistan were significantly curtailed, yet their persistence in some areas demonstrates their deep roots and extensive network. In this respect, they achieved so much to defeat militancy and free Pakistan from this evil. But still, the FATA insurgency holds a potential threat and is a foremost challenge to Pakistan’s national security and sovereignty.