The land of Swat, once known for its scenic beauty was reduced to a geographical area for violent extremism. The Armed Forces of Pakistan, through unwavering efforts and sacrifices, brought peace back to the land. However, the recent reurgance of violence in the valley was again dealt with an iron fist by the Armed Forces, not allowing the hard-earned peace to be rolled back.
For the past few weeks, the law and order situation in Swat and neighboring areas has been deteriorating once again, which is directly related to the situation in Afghanistan, where after 2009, the leadership of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) took refuge. Courtesy of top military leadership and the Commander Peshawar Corps who identified the issue and in order provide security to the people, the forces also started targeted operations in the troubled areas to eliminate the terrorists from their hideouts. The military leadership not only paid full attention to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the victims, but also repaired the damages with the support of the international community and provided all the necessary facilities to the people by reconciling the infrastructure in a record time which were damaged during operation against terrorists. The result was that the area was cleared of terrorists. Their hideouts were destroyed and scores were either killed or arrested. During the operation, some militants took refuge into Afghanistan, from where they continued to attack Pakistan along with other groups.
Besides Pakistan Army’s endeavors towards deradicalization, it has played a monumental role in repairing Swat’s infrastructure, including, inter alia, repairment of homes, buildings, hotels, bridges, shops and roads, which were severely damaged.
Apart from these measures, Pakistan Army also worked towards the construction and maintenance of educational institutions, roads, communications and hospitals. In this regard, the example of Swat Cadet College can be given where thousands of students are getting quality education. Dozens of rehabilitation centres were established, scholarships were awarded, and talented young people were given opportunities to advance.
In order to deal with the current challenges, it is imperative that all stakeholders join hands and encourage the national security institutions to face the threat through joint efforts.-Agency