Fragile peace in Swat —Zubair Torwali

Whatever the perception of the people, the fact remains that peace in Swat does not seem lasting and sustainable. On the contrary, the situation may get worse after the security forces leave the valley

In Swat, everybody in his own
capacity interprets the overall phenomenon of terrorism and efforts to counter it. It is not specific to certain circles only. People from all walks of life have their version of the game. Some link it with a great game having China and Pakistan on the one hand, and India and the US on the other as main players. People are fearful too, but they continue to lead their routine life. This situation goes on until a suicide attack or a planted bomb blast occurs.

The recent blast in the busy square, Nishaat Chowk, in Mingora, that killed 13 people and injured over 30, has again startled the people about the fragile peace in Swat. It has also raised a number of questions about the operation. The local people are so anxious about the future of Swat that whenever they see such an event, they begin to lose hope again. I have interacted with a number of friends about the blast and its rippling effects in the valley. A considerable number among them were found losing hope in a sustainable peace in Swat, but there is still hope in the corners. People have not lost it altogether. Some describe it as after-shocks of a successful operation. Others consider it a part of the strategy to assure the international community that Swat is still in turmoil and things are far from normal. Many people wonder how such events are carried out in spite of the heavy deployment of forces and strict check and search operations. The question they ask is, how can the militants find their way back to their hubs, slipping past the security forces?

Peace in Swat is like sand, which is too shifty to keep the people on top, and is so vulnerable that it can recede anytime. Some friends said that peace would not sustain in the valley because the turmoil had its roots in the strategic depth policy by the Pakistani decision makers. They were of the opinion that the unrest would last for many years, serving as a lever to encash money from the accounts of those who treat us as a frontline state in counterinsurgency.

Whatever the perception of the people, the fact remains that peace in Swat does not seem lasting and sustainable. On the contrary, the situation may get worse after the security forces leave the valley. The peace, though very fragile, has been earned by using the force of a magnitude that is used when two states are at war.

In the wake of the sports festival in Kabbal, the tourist festival in Kalam and, of course, some gatherings by civil society in Mingora, the people were very happy that this spring would bring with it happiness and delight, and the tourists would again make their way to Swat — one of their most cherished destinations. The Hotel Association and the general traders were thinking of ways to greet their guests with warmth when they would love to visit Swat. We have heard many shopkeepers and hoteliers’ talk of greeting the guests with garlands (although the people of Swat deserve these by their fellow Pakistanis as they had seen very cruel times). But they feel very hopeless when such blasts take place. Then they contemplate again and think about leaving Swat for some other unknown destinations. Such events remind them of the recent past and they scratch their wounds, which were inflicted on them by both the state and the militants. The state did not rein in the dragon of militancy at the very beginning while the militants unleashed barbarism in the name of Islam. Their hopelessness is not altogether baseless. Why can militancy not be contained in the valley despite the year-long serious operation? The people become embodied question-marks with many a question readable from their looks. Their deep and tired eyes stare at you and ask why their land was made the ground for atrocities they never inflicted on others. Their piercing looks demand an explanation from the state and its institutions why the militancy had not been checked at the beginning, why the Pakistani media and the Taliban apologists do not abstain from rubbing salt into their wounds?

Many people in the Pakistani media and in the power structures have the answers to these questions. Who in Pakistan dares to speak the truth? Enough is enough. The people of NWFP and FATA demand the decision makers and the designers of Pakistan’s foreign policy to refrain from pursuing a policy of strategic depth over the dead bodies of their women, children, old and young.

The writer is a freelance analyst based in Swat and coordinates Idara Baraye Taleem-o-Taraqi (IBT) there. He can be reached at ztorwali@gmail.co