Pakistan’s counter-militant offensive: A critical evaluation of operation Radd-ul-Fasaad

Abstract

Pakistan’s joining the US-led global war on terrorism has brought multi-dimensional challenges to her territorial integrity as a result of which the country has plunged into deeper crisis within her borders. Pakistan faced the brunt of the US military campaign at the domestic level due the unprecedented influx of the non-state actors from the western front. As a result, Pakistan had to move the military into the tribal belt for the first time since her independence in order to mitigate the threats posed by the militant landscape. The security forces of Pakistan for two decades since 9/11 launched many counter-terrorism operations within its borders. Raadul Fasaad (RuF) is one such operation. This operation included both the hard and soft power strategies for countering the threats of terrorism. The paper is an attempt to critically evaluate the achievement s of this operation as well as highlight the challenges ahead for the security establishment.