Pakistan's Last Gambit ? Continues....

Another crucial flaw was the decision to deploy heavy artillery (mortars, shoulder-fired rocket-propelled guns, heavy machine guns, and RR guns) in a 50 sq km cordoned area. The outraged tribals wasted no time in siding with their ethnic allies, the Taliban. Besides, when it came to guerrilla warfare, the Taliban and their tribal supporters started off where the army gave up, masters as they were at the game after years of ambush, raid, and concealment. The result was that heavy shelling by the army caused damage and death, largely among the civilian population.

The deployment of gunships within the
borders signalled a major military failure and it got really bad when a helicopter raid killed sixteen civilians, including 13 women and children. The commanders hurriedly withdrew the US-supplied Apache helicopters and pleaded with the tribal leader to settle the issue.

Further, the army’s decision to bulldoze houses sheltering the Taliban and al Qaeda elements served only to upset the tribal leaders even more.

One of the critical factors overlooked by the Pakistan Army leadership while launching military operations in the tribal areas was the substantial number of Pashtuns, both officers and men, in the army. Pashtuns dominate the tribal areas and the ranks of the Taliban. At least 25 percent of the half-a-million strong army is of Pashtun ethnicity. A more clear indication of the Pashtun clout is the fact that the army has had four Pashtun Army Chiefs (Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Gul Hasan Khan, and Waheed Kakar). Pashtun soldiers are known for their marksmanship, courage, and loyalty.

Although no regiments are all-Pashtun, and only one Corps is headquartered in NWFP, several important training centres for soldiers (in Peshawar, Nowshera, and Mardan), and the only military training academy for officers (in Kakul), are located in the province.

To be continued...