NAME: KISHWAR KHAN

ASSIGNMENT: Issues and Problems faced by the people of South Waziristan Agency post Operation
Rah-e-NIJAT.

SUBMITTED TO: DR HIMAYATULLAH YAQOBI

INTRODUCTION
South Waziristan Agency is ragged mountainous region of the Northwest Pakistan, Sharing border with
Afghanistan and covering about an area of 11,585 km. It was one of the most important agencies in
FATA, but now it has been completely annihilated by military operation Rahe-e-Nijat launched in 2009
by Pakistan Army. Operation Rah-e-Nijat was launched because the agency was the hot bed of terrorist
organizations including national and international one.

The main reason of the Rah-e-Niijat against TTP in SWA was providing of sanctuaries and personal
assistance by TTP to some international terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaida and the Islamic
movements of Uzbekistan in SWA. They also started insurgency in Pakistan and became a severe threat
for the peaceful existence of Pakistan. They were responsible for bomb blasts in public places and for
targeting the government’s institutions and officials. Robberies, kidnapping and target killings of the
high ups were also started by the TTP in Pakistan on a large scale. As this bad situation was getting worst
in the country, the government of Pakistan adopted a strong military operation against the TTP in order
to secure peace and the prosperity of the country.

The government of Pakistan appeared victorious in this war on terror however, in the aftermath of this
operation people of SWA were affected a lot. Every field of their lives was affected resulting in many
social problems which enhanced the sufferings and difficulties of the people. Business activities were
dimed and withered and the culture of people was also hurt immensely. “Pak army has used heavy
weapons during the operation which caused of the collateral damage killings of innocent people,
including of children and women etc. The destruction of educational institutions is the result of that
operation.

The military operations in 2008 and 2009 in SWA against Baithullah Mehsud and Therik Taliban Pakistan
displaced 200,000 people who moved to tank and Dera Ismail Khan. These people are called Internally
Displaced People (IDPs) who lived a horrible and pathetic live in the IDPs camps, where they were
unable to get the with the basic facilities of life like foods, cloths and shelter etc. The government has
started the process of rehabilitation of the IDPs of SWA and it seems to do its best to foster an
environment where they can live peaceful lives. However, this military operation has a huge impact over
the common people of SWA and caused some grave socio-economic and other challenges and issues for
them.

Problems related to Military Operations

South Waziristan agency has been suffered a lot from the ceaseless operations from 2005 to 2015.
During this period some small scale and large scale operations were launched against the terrorists
group in SWA. But the most heinous operation was the operation Rah-e-Niijat. That operation has
affected this region at a large scale and caused of the grave problems for the people of SWA.

1. Economic problems

Economy determines the development of any country of the world. Strong economy reaches the
country or region to the zenith of glory and development. If country has strong economy it will progress
in many ways. The destruction of economy means the abolition of sources of getting money like the
devastation of shops and markets, industries, agriculture and stock etc, which play gigantic role in
boosting up of the economy of one region.

Wars and aggression create hurdle in way of economic growth, or completely make it frozen. In
operation Rah-Nijat the same conditions were happened with economy of SWA. The economy of SWA
was destroyed. Shops and markets were annihilated, corps and live stocks was deteriorated. The
terrorist and military operations not only affected the local infrastructure and the social setup but also
the local economy. People had suffered from the losses of their houses, jobs, income, livestock,
agriculture and business during this situation. People became jobless and mentally disturbed due to not
lifting any source of money.

So therefore operation Rah-e-Nijat caused of huge economic emasculation not only for SWA but for
Pakistan also because due to growing rate of military operations in the country. No public place is safe
from terrorist attack in Pakistan. Businesses activities have affected a lot, fall of confidence in businesses
activities has produced in the people due to terrorism in the country.

2. Social and cultural problems

Social life and culture are interlinked and both are the important parts of human life. Individual is
identified in society through his culture, tradition and his social setup. Every community has different
culture and tradition and different mode of their social life. So SWA has different culture and tradition
and social life from the rest of the country and people are proud of their culture and tradition. But
operation Rah-Nijat affected their social life and culture as well. The tribal people were those people
whose Hujra (guest houses) was never seen shut up, and the Pashtuns have always been hospitable and
welcoming but the state policies are being contentiously changed to be more ineffective. This
environment has made our women and children beg for even food.

Not only are these but massive causalities recorded in the operation Rah-Nijat. People abandoned their
language and culture because they were avoided being the part of their region for 10 years.

3. Political Problems

Sense of politics or political awareness is necessary for every human being. Without having political
sagacity and awareness no one can be able to know about his basic social, political and religious rights. A
person is dormant about his own rights with in the country. In SWA people were not politically aware
and they did not know about their rights which avails one citizen of country, because in SWA all the
administration was previously controlled under the act of Frontier Crime Regulation (FCR), which is not
allowed any political activities and mobilization.

After operation Rah-e-Nijat people were able to know about their basic rights, they are becoming
politically socialized. Sense of awareness has been achieved on massive after this operation in the
people of SWA. Therefore, one can say that political life of the people of SWA has been improved.

4. Psychological problems

The military operation also disturbed the psychological condition of the people of SWA. The constant
exposure to violence and the horrific sound of cannon and shelling are resulted in the various
physiological problems like depression, anxiety and feelings of insecurity etc in the people of SWA.
According to Pakistan psychiatrist society says in his report that “more than 54 percent of people living
in conflict zone have shown symptoms of acute stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, fear
and anxiety etc.

5. Migration of the People

Operation compelled people on migration where they faced severe problems and difficulties. The
operation Rah-e-Niijat in SWA resulted in the displacement of 293,000 people. Women and children
were suffered a lot during the process of migration due to the paucity of proper means of
transportation. Majority of them were passed away. Women gave birth of their children in ragged
mountainous terrain, because they did migration by feet due not having any source of transportation.

The old and disabled people suffered a lot, because it was very difficult for them to migrate, that’s why
people had to live them to death in the mountainous region and conflicted area, because they had
nothing to bring them with themselves. People were died on massive scale and affected physiologically
and physically during the process of migration. Because people were targeted by drone attacks and mad
a ceaselessly shelling when people were doing migration from SWA due to operation Rah-e-nijat.

6. Abolition of Jirga system

Their jirga system was disturbed and affected also. Jirga was one the important part of their culture and
tradition. Jirga system was followed by the people on massive scale in SWA. It played a colossal role in
solving of their disputes and conflicts in very short time. But due to operation Rah-e-Nijat their jirga
system has been dime and vanished away, because for 10 years people never assembled and got to
gather in their areas which sustain their jirga system, culture and tradition from new-start.

Their very intricate problems were solved through Jirga in a day or week. When people migrated and
came to settled areas, then their jirga system was abolished, and people become the victim of court and
police in order to solve their issue and problems.

7. Educational problems
Unfortunately the education of people of SWA has been destroyed and effected a lot due to operation
Rah-e-Nijat. Militancy and counter military attacks lost their confidence to get education. The ceaseless
shelling and air strike made it impossible for them from going to schools and colleges. A large number of
the parents did not send their children to schools and colleges due to the fear of drone attacks. Schools
and colleges were annihilated at large scale and caused of the various causality of the students and
teachers. According to one of the research “In South Waziristan, 27 fully damaged schools and colleges
include 1 boys’ college, 14 high schools for boys, 3 primary schools for boys, 4 middle schools for boys, 2
middle schools for girls, and 3 primary schools for girls. 8 partially blasted institutions include 2 high
schools for boys.

Therefore operation Rah-e-Nijat kept them away from getting education for 9 years which led the dark
foundation of educational career for the people of SWA.

Being IDPs no educational facilities were provided to the people of SWA. In those 9 years being IDPs the
children did not get education, but they were forced to do work due to the financial problems of their
families. When they went back to SWA their education have been stopped till right now due to the
reconstruction of the schools and colleges, so it shows that how the education of the people of SWA
affected and faced a lot of problems in the field of education from operation Rah-e-Nijat.

Conclusion
SWA has been used for the nurturer and the safety of militant organizations not only for the inside of
non state actors but for the outside actors as well. SWA was an alternative center of an international
terrorist organizations including Al-Qaida, Uzbeks ,Chechens and TTP after Afghanistan. Because it is
very close to Afghanistan border and was a safe place for their survival. Therefore, they regulated their
network from SWA and performed terrorist activities all over the world from here. The presence of
Taliban in SWA was a threat for national security of Pakistan and the later wanted to eradicate them
because TTP had destroyed the peace and prosperity of the country. At last to get emancipation from
such elements the SWA has to suffer from ceaselessly military operations for 9 years. Military operation
has appeared successful in its goals, but it left the region in deteriorated conditions and caused of sever
problems in term of social, economic and educational one. An African proverb can best explain the
social, economic and political condition of the SWA after operation Rah-Nijat. It says when two elephant
fight; it is the grass that gets trampled. So operation Rah-e-Niijat trampled and annihilated every field of
life of the people of SWA.