Operation in Waziristan

             The operation in Waziristan is a good move if its purpose is to purge the area of ignorance, poverty and extremism. Somehow, we stumble along as events unfold themselves.
             Menaces such as fundamentalism, separatism and extremism spring from poverty and lack of education and health care. Waziristan is Pakistan's worst area from this point of view. No wonder, it has become a fertile ground for fundamentalists, separatists and extremists.

                  The operation may serve as a short-term remedy for the malaise, but what Waziristan needs is long-term planning.
                 For years Waziristan had served as a guardian of Pakistan's western frontiers, its people were peace-loving, and crimes such as dacoity, kidnapping for ransom and drug addition were foreign to them before the war in Afghanistan that introduced these crimes to the area, besides, of course, the ubiquitous Kalashnikovs.
               Waziristan is one of the most underdeveloped and deprived areas of Pakistan. There may be schools, hospitals and roads there, but only on paper. People usually die on the hump of a camel on the way to a hospital.
               The youth having no pen in their hands often carry Kalashnikovs. One should then not expect people living in such conditions to appreciate the compulsions and limitations of the state. They love their country but wonder what the state is doing for them.
               The government, as well as the international community which is interested in the tribal belt, must realize that trying to rid the area of terrorists without improving the quality of life will be a waste of effort.
                Operations like that, if they persist without the economic uplift of the area, may alienate the people. People living in an environment where there are economic opportunities, rule of law, and the right to speak and write what hey please usually do not resort to violence.