Nine years after Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) that displaced millions of people and claimed thousands of lives, the government has decided to launch another military operation against the Islamist militants.
According to the National Security Committee, a nationwide operation will be launched against the militant group.
Some analysts believe the government wants to delay the provincial elections, therefore, they have decided to launch the operation, Reuters reported.
The announcement comes as the country is in danger of defaulting on its debt with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme stalled since November last year.
Once the deal with IMF is signed, the lender will disburse a tranche of more than $1 billion from the $6.5 billion bailout agreed to in 2019, which will serve as a lifeline for the cash-strapped country.
The last military operation cost the country billions of dollars.
The country is also facing a political crisis after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan’s ouster from the Prime Minister’s Office.
Pakistan has recently seen a resurgence of terrorism with the TTP targeting police officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Earlier, a blast in Peshawar mosque inside a police compound claimed the lives of more than 60 people. The TTP claimed responsibility for one of the deadliest blasts in the city. Last month a police station in Peshawar was also targeted, resulting in three deaths. Meanwhile, the day after the deadly Peshawar attack, Punjab police thwarted an attack on a police station in Mianwali.
On February 17th, three militants from the TTP stormed into Karachi police headquarters, leading to an hour-long operation. During the operation, three militants were killed while two policemen, one Rangers official, and a civilian embraced martyrdom.
According to a report by Reuters, the banned TTP is targeting Pakistan’s military and police while using sophisticated weapons, including weapons from the stock left behind by Western forces when they exited Afghanistan in 2021.
TTP is supported by the Taliban-led Afghan government.
