Had eliminating Taliban leaders through drone strikes been successful in restoring peace and security, terrorism would have faded. But that is not the case.
Tehreek -i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud, wanted by the FBI with a 5 million bounty, was recently killed along with three others in a drone strike North Waziristan.
Like every other incident, the reaction was mixed. Mehsud was a mass murderer, leader of a terrorist group responsible for killing thousands of innocent people, therefore his death is rightly hailed.
On the other hand, soon after the Pakistani government’s peace talk initiative, Mehsud showed his consent for a ceasefire and distanced himself from the deadly blast in Peshawar’s Qissa Khwani region and double church attacks, which raises serious questions about the timing and motives behind his killing.
This journey of confusion does not seem to end any soon. However, it is evident that people are more worried about the aftermath of this incident. The most important question that tickles our mind is whether it will help restore peace or worsen the circumstances.
In order to answer this question, let us first throw a fleeting glimpse on the list of Taliban leadership killed in drone strikes. Besides Mehsud, other prominent names include Wali ur Rehman Mehsud,Qari Hussain, Ilyas Kashmiri, Qari Zafar, Baitullah Mehsud and Naik Mohammad.
Had eliminating Taliban leaders through drones been successful in reinstating peace and stability, the wave of terrorism would have faded to a great extent. But that is not the case.
The terrorist network became widespread and stronger with the passage of time irrespective of leadership. Let’s take the example of Hakimullah Mehsud. He owned a small shop in South Waziristan and did not have extra ordinary credentials before joining the Taliban.
Thus, it’s not the individual among them but the network that needs to be dismantled. Luckily or unluckily, there are not enough drones to eliminate the entire web of terrorists.
Now that the chapter of Mehsud is closed, it has left us with many questions about the fate of peace talks. There were already uncertainties about the negotiations and this incident will aggravate the situation even more. The Taliban will not sit quietly.
They will do whatever it takes to avenge the death of their chief. Since they cannot respond by directly attacking Washington, their rage will fall upon the innocent people of Pakistan and it is feared that this reaction will be immense.
The irony is unmistakable but under the current circumstances, it seems as if a dead Mehsud is way more dangerous than alive. The incident has also sparked a never-ending debate about the motives and usefulness of drone strikes.
In short, it can be said that the latest drone attack has eliminated a deadly terrorist but also sabotaged Pakistan’s peace talks with the Taliban. On a positive note, let’s hope that peace prevails and we manage to come out of this quagmire of never-ending war.
Ahmad Zubair is an Afghan national, living in Peshawar, Pakistan. He is a freelance writer and poet, and Editor of The Faultlines. His interests revolve around politics, social issues, religion and extremism. Follow Ahmad on Twitter @AhmaddZubair and contact him at ahmaddzubair@hotmail.com.
