Pakistan’s army is presently engaged in a full scale war to curb the rise of Taliban power in the troubled Swat, Bonair and Deer areas. The resistance offered by talibans has been no way near to what was being expected after the army operation.
Though the question remains, would this operation be able to finish the talibans for good. Unfortunately, the answer is not too easy to comprehend.
The outcomes of justice regulation in Swat have put talibans on a back foot. A weak strategic move by talibans, to further advance after most of their demands were met, made them bad guys.
Talibans enjoyed support from impoverished population who thought of them as their rescuers for most of the miseries and injustices incurred upon them for decades. The public image of talibans got a major blow when an alleged video surfaced showing public flogging of a girl from Swat. It created a mass protest all over Pakistan against human rights violations by talibans. Talibans stood further aloof when pakistani media which supported them also started condemning them.
Zardari government acted shrewd after taking the justice regulation to National Assembely and then approving it simultaneously, throwing ball in taliban’s court.
Talibans could not play their cards properly and acted more arrogant and stubborn that led them to a closed corner. To sum up it can be concluded that talibans have lost the battle on moral grounds for the time being.
Pakistani talibans would have to depend on a miracle to regain support for implementing their interpreted Islamic Shariat.