Following the attack on the Jaffar Express, the spokesperson of the Pakistan Army announced that the rules of the game have now changed, meaning that indiscriminate and relentless action will be taken. A similar announcement was made on May 9, 2023, but what happened was that the ultimatum turned into a joke. Statements like "we will deal with an iron hand," "terrorists will have no place to hide," "the attackers carried out a cowardly act," "we strongly condemn this," etc., have not only lost their impact but also irritated the listeners. The political and military leadership echoed similar rhetoric during the Parliamentary Committee on National Security meeting.
On the other hand, people are criticizing that nothing substantial is being done, and it’s all just empty threats. State institutions possess immense power. If this power is used appropriately, considering the ground realities, then achieving the desired results becomes certain. Balochistan has been plagued by unrest for a long time, but the continuous attacks on the military have now changed the nature of the issue.
The attack on the Jaffar Express, travelling from Quetta to Peshawar, occurred on March 11, in which at least 26 people, including 18 security personnel, were martyred, while 33 terrorists from the BLA were killed. The Pakistani Army demonstrated its best capabilities by conducting an operation and rescuing 354 passengers. A few hours after the train attack, Indian and PTI social media spread a mountain of lies. The average Pakistani citizen was in shock, unsure of how many army personnel had been martyred or abducted. After some time, the facts emerged, providing a little relief.
In Balochistan, Punjabis have been systematically targeted for a long time, then security personnel became the targets, and in recent incidents, Sindhis are also being killed. The day after the Jaffar Express attack, a suicide attack targeted a Pakistan Army convoy in Noshki, and rockets were fired. However, the most significant development is that after recent events, the entire world is united in condemning terrorism. The state of Pakistan now has a free hand to crush all miscreants. The ruthless use of force will also serve as a warning to the countries sponsoring these terrorists. There is no room for negotiations now. Whether it’s the Marri Baloch or anyone else, no one should be allowed to block roads.
Although a large number of people are participating in anti-state protests in Balochistan, these elements can be controlled through force and strategy. The Baloch sardars, who live lavish lives like Arab sheikhs, should be told to focus on their own areas and assist in making the operations successful instead of indulging in luxuries elsewhere. The final round has begun, and talks of reconciliation and negotiations will only happen after the cleanup operation is completed. Simultaneously, a Zarb-e-Azb type operation should be launched immediately in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Where are those Aristotles who mocked Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s timely warning that due to the policies of Bajwa, Faiz, and Imran, the TTP terrorists have returned to the mountains? Today, the situation is such that even religious scholars are being systematically targeted, with JUI being the biggest target. The issue of Parachinar has become a separate volcano. Ignoring reality is sheer foolishness. In Parachinar, there is a purely sectarian conflict. On one side are the Zainabiyoun, and on the other are the TTP. After a major attack by the opposing faction on the Bugin population, ordinary citizens have also become part of this conflict. The solution to this problem can only be achieved through the use of force and strict implementation of religious ethics. In other areas, conduct operations as needed.
It has been proven that the governments of Balochistan and KP are incapable of establishing their authority. In the coming days, the situation is certain to worsen further. The only way to save the situation is to crush all anti-state activities with force. After May 9, the ifs and buts, catching some and letting others go, the Bandial Gang’s staunch support for PTI, the "good to see you" attitude in courts, the unchecked freedom of Imrandu media, the open access given to Imran Khan in jail for meals, meetings, and press conferences, allowing several members of this network to flee the country, not arresting several others despite their presence in the country, and finally, the extremely clumsy "election management" have turned the serious case of treason against the military leadership into a joke.
Now, the establishment is not only facing PTI’s social media brigade and the fugitives sitting abroad but also terrorists armed with modern weapons funded by foreign countries. Any attempt to include such elements in the political process will be foolish until the state’s authority is restored by responding to bullets with bullets. If the state of Pakistan is now truly going to do this, it is nothing new. History is the same, and the method is the same. This is not only the case in stable countries but also in those where new governments have recently been formed.
Take the recent example of Syria. After the end of the long tyrannical rule of the Bashar al-Assad family, which massacred one million of its own citizens and exiled five million, a rebellion was orchestrated to overthrow the new government before it could even establish itself. Despite being inexperienced, the new rulers took the toughest action without delay or flexibility and regained control in just four days.
During the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, several Iranians and Iraqis arrived via the sea route to Latakia and Tartus, where the majority of the population are Alawites, supporters of former President Bashar al-Assad. The Turkish government learned of the conspiracy and informed the new government in Damascus. There were reports that Israeli aircraft would provide cover to the attackers. Turkey deployed its fighter jets for continuous flights in Syrian airspace. The new Syrian government wiped out everyone without caring about internal or external reactions. Seeing the result, the world also fell silent.