The government forces have launched operation 'Rah-e-Nijat' in South Waziristan agency (SWA) to hunt down Baitullah Mehsud, the head of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The provincial government has termed the operation a “comprehensive and decisive one”. In Swat, the government’s big achievement is the yet-to-be-confirmed death of Maulana Shah Dawran, the deputy of TTP Taliban in Swat, while the mass exodus of locals from the area is another ‘gift’ of the military assault.
Majority of the people in Malakand Division consider Taliban an ‘anti-progress’ group wanting to impose its own version of Islam, but at the same time they fully endorse the way the operation was carried out in the area where instead of ground assault, jet aircraft and gunship helicopters pounded the militants hideouts.
After the start of operation in South Waziristan, not much different from that in Swat, the tribesmen have started fleeing to safer areas in the nearby Taank, Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan districts. In recent attacks, Mehsud-dominated areas like Ladda, Kaniguram and Sararogha have been pounded by jet aircraft and gunship helicopters.
On Saturday, April 28, a madrassa in Makin run by Shamim Mehsud, a TTP commander in Ladda area, was destroyed by the military. According to Baitullah’s deputy Hakimullah Mehsud the militants are fighting the security forces and no army could defeat them in South Waziristan. “We are in a strong position to respond to the military attacks and time alone will tell that these military operations have not weakened us,” he added.
Compared to Operation Rahi-i-Rast, Operation Rah-e-Nijat will be rather tough for the military. The security forces are taking on Baitullah Mehsud, who has his men not only in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), but also in the rest of the country and can carry out suicide attacks everywhere. Ironically, sources inside Baitullah group claim to have a large number of followers in Karachi where they have melted into the local Pashtun population. While the Punjabi Mujahideen, whether in the form of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi or Fidayeene Islam, are considered Baitullah’s people waiting for his instructions.
Baitullah, who belongs to the Shabikhel sub-clan of Mehsud tribe, has become a source of threat and fear and is leading the insurgency in South Waziristan. During the first week of June, Baitullah came to the Mehsud part of South Waziristan from Mirali town in North Waziristan Agency (NWA). During his 10-day stay in the Mirali area, he met different local commanders and discussed the current situation with them.
According to Ghani Rehman Dawar, a local militant of Asiori Village, “Though Hafiz Gul Bahadur Wazir is commander-in-chief of all Taliban factions in NWA, Baitullah mostly relies on Commander Aftab Dawar, 38, who belongs to Idak Village. The rest of the Taliban like Sadiq Noor and Halim Khan Wazir have assured Baitullah of their loyalty, but the inclination of their head Hafiz Gul Bahadur towards the government in the past has made the TTP head look towards Aftab during any kind of military operation.”
Earlier, there were reports both in the local and foreign media that Baitullah had shifted to Afghanistan, but Ghani Rehman says, “He has spent most of his time in his own Mehsud-dominated areas like Makin, Ladda, Sararogha and Chakmalai and from time to time he visited NWA.
 According to Naseem Jan Mehsud, a young militant from Makin in Waziristan, “Baitullah remains silent most of the time. He is known to be hypertensive and diabetic, and when his health turns bad he invites mentally retarded people who amuse him with jokes and funny remarks. He has a large number of such friends all over Waziristan.
Ghani Rehman also confirmed that during his recent stay in Mirali, Baitullah invited two “mad” persons and enjoyed their company. He said these crazy people remain tightlipped if someone asks them as to the whereabouts of Baitullah Mehsud. A mad boy, who belongs to Khajori area of Mirali, had the privilege of accompanying Baitullah during his recent visit. “The mad boy was happy that soon he would get married and informed Baitullah about his wish,” Ghani added. He said if someone asks him if he loves Baitullah, he always replies in the affirmative, but if he is asked about his location he just shrugs his shoulders. “As he is a symbol of threat to the security forces and other opponent groups, Baitullah is dear to these crazy people, ” Ghani said.
“The local tribesmen are of the view that Baitullah Mehsud achieved such a powerful position in a very short time because of his love for these innocent, mad and mentally retarded people who are usually looked down upon in our society,” he said. In recent days Mirali and its surrounding areas received rain turning the weather pleasant. This created an impression in the area that the rain was due to the presence of Baitullah Mehsud and other important jihadi leaders in the area.
The government has made numerous attempts to incite the locals to revolt against Baitullah but its efforts bore no fruit. The killing of Zainuddin Mehsud, an anti-TTP commander, has discouraged the people to such an extent that they would not even think of going against Baitullah in future. Zainuddin’s separation from Mehsud tribe was a big achievement of the government. He was the first person who dared to say, “Whatever Baitullah Mehsud and his associates are doing in the name of Islam is not jihad; in fact it is rioting and terrorism while Islam stands for peace, not for terrorism.” If the emergence of Zainuddin was a big success for the government, his killing by his own guard, Gulbadin, is a far more important success for the TTP.
This is not the first case as whosoever has gone against the Taliban has met the same fate. In 2008, some 30 persons of Haji Turkistan Betani, a comrade of the late Zainuddin Mehsud and leader of an anti-Taliban group, were killed by the TTP in South Waziristan.
According to Ghani Dawar, on June 14 news spread in the area that the Taliban were going to attack military installations in Mirali. Some chieftains of Musakki, Idak and Khabi sub-clans of Dawar tribe gathered and waited to stop the Taliban attacks. “No one can confront the Taliban but the tribesmen gathered to request the militants not to attack the army camp as that could disturb peace in the area. Luckily, the Taliban did not come on that particular night and it turned out to be a rumor,” he added.
In April this year Fateh Khan, a chieftain from Sultanwas (a small village near Pir Baba) in Buner, formed a lashkar to push the Taliban out of the area but the militants reacted and not only defeated the Lashkar, but also forced Fateh Khan to flee the area. The Taliban captured his marble factories, flourmill, a petrol pump and other properties. These days he is spending his life in exile in the UAE – an example for others not to go against the Taliban.
 
Another such anti-TTP group was formed by the pro-government militant commander Shah Khalid of Ahle-Hadith school of thought in Mohmand Agency. In July 2008, TTP Mohmand Agency commander Abdul Wali alias Omar Khalid captured the chief commander of his rival group along with 120 fighters from Khwezo area and later killed him.
In October 2008 Pir Samiullah, a sworn enemy of the Taliban, was helped by the government to defy the Taliban in Swat and its surroundings. The TTP attacked and killed Samiullah, a follower of Barelvi school of thought, along with 20 of his followers while another 22 were taken hostage. In the early stages, the Pir was warmly welcomed by the government, which provided him with weaponry, but later when he needed help no one came to protect him from the Swat TTP.
At present, a lashkar of Salarzai tribesmen backed by the government is confronting the Taliban in Bajaur, but these people are unaware of the fact that no one would come to their rescue if the militants retaliated.  Previously, such lashkars failed badly in the area when the government stopped supporting them at a time when they were confronting the militants. Malak Kamin Khan and Malak Jabbar Khan were killed on February 6, 2007 while struggling to oust the Taliban from the area.
In June 2006 Khiali Betani, another anti-Taliban commander, was promoted and supported by the government to resist and confront the rise of the Taliban in Taank. This man led a group of self-proclaimed hashish users Sra Skarwata Group (SSG). Sra Skarwata (literally meaning burning ember) fought many battles against Asmatullah Betani (alias Shaheen), the deputy of Baitullah Mehsud in Taank district, but this group perished on September 4, 2006 with the killing of Khiali Betani.
Several tribesmen are fighting the militants in Upper Dir since a suicide bombing at a Masjid last month killed some 30 people. At the moment, the locals are enjoying government backing but it is feared that if the government withdraws its support, the TTP would crush them.
Critics says that the operation against the Taliban, whether they are challenging government writ in Swat or in South Waziristan, should be carried out but not in the way it has done so far. The army should go for a ground assault instead of shelling and bombing from helicopters and jet aircraft. This is the only way to get public support, while forming lashkars against the TTP could lead the country towards civil war.