Peace in South Waziristan

Gulf News

Peace in South Waziristan. Gulf News visits an outpost near the Afghanistan border in South Waziristan to showcase people rebuilding the region. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv

Transcript

00:00Driving to South Waziristan, I had strong apprehensions about security.

00:12Until 2010, this area which borders Afghanistan was virtually a no-go zone, under the control

00:19of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

00:22Though the Taliban were overthrown in a large-scale military operation by the Pakistan Army in

00:272009, there was widespread destruction and displacement.

00:32About 300,000 Mehsud tribesmen and their families moved to adjoining settled areas of Tang and

00:39Deira Ismail Khan, of which 50,000 have since returned home.

00:44But the biggest surprise I encountered was the absence of any weapons.

00:48The Mehsuds have given up their arms as part of an agreement with the military.

00:52Their focus has now shifted towards educating their children and increasing their livelihood.

00:58Moving into the heart of South Waziristan, I saw that roads have been rebuilt, as have

01:03the tunnels and many of the bridges across the Tang-Sam river.

01:07I was impressed to see newly built bus shelters, community markets, playgrounds and poultry

01:14farms.

01:16Many youngsters gathered in the evening to play football and cricket.

01:19It was heartening to see many children walking to school, including young girls.

01:28On route from Jandola to Sararoha, we stopped at Kot Kai, where I witnessed the destruction

01:34from when the military had faced stiff resistance from the Taliban.

01:38The houses of Hakimullah Mehsud and Qari Hussain, both Taliban leaders, now lay in ruins.

01:46Standing defiantly nearby, I saw a few of the homes that had been built by the army

01:51for at least 200 widows.

01:53Kot Kai, which was the Taliban headquarter, now also has a football academy for youngsters

01:59and a large community centre.

02:02As we made our way towards the Shahbozai military base, we stopped at a free medical and relief

02:07goods distribution camp, where local tribesmen and their children had gathered to receive

02:12free aid donated by civilians and the military.

02:16These camps are set up periodically to help promote villagers.

02:25Arriving at the Shahbozai base, which stands at a height of 6,000 feet, I met the officers

02:31in charge and was allowed to explore the bunkers and the living quarters of the soldiers that

02:36guard this mountain outpost.

02:40Brigadier Hassan Hayat of the 40th Division, who commands the Sara Rogha site, told us

02:46about the duties relegated to the soldiers and commanding officer at the base and about

02:51the area itself that stretches into North Waziristan and the international border with

02:56Afghanistan.

02:57This is North Waziristan and this is South Waziristan.

03:01This is our area we have occupied.

03:03You can find post pickets made on every bunker.

03:07So this is all along occupied and that is how we start rehabilitating and securing the

03:13area.

03:14So there are small gaps in between, you can't close the compartment because it's more difficult

03:20ground when you go on the ground.

03:22Now this mountain is there, we call it 2030, so that we dominate.

03:27So if we don't dominate, then somebody else will dominate that.

03:32So you have to keep going there, spend two nights, three nights in the wilderness, come

03:37back and sometimes we go for operations even far behind these places.

03:42So this is around the clock monitoring?

03:44Around the clock, they're staying here.

03:47It's not only staying here, like you see, this is a gap, the next base is there, so

03:55this is a gap, so they monitor this, they foot it out at night also, patrolling.

04:00In case somebody comes and can fire from there, so you have to go dominate those places.

04:05And what we call operations are, like these places were not occupied sometime back, we

04:11were sitting somewhere in the rear.

04:13So we operated, full operation here, if we find any resistance, then you go and occupy

04:21and likewise you keep extending yourself, operations.

04:26It struck me that South Waziristan has been able to emerge so quickly from decades of

04:31negligence and militant rule.

04:33Looking out over the mountains of the north, I could not stop myself from hoping that North

04:38Waziristan would also one day enjoy the same peace, stability and progress.

04:44Faryal Leghari, Gulf News.

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