US General commanding the coalition forces at Afghanistan, Stanley McChrystal, while visiting the Pakistani side in Swat in 2009 stated that, he wished for his officers and men under his command to learn COIN from the Pakistani Army. What Pakistan Army has achieved domestically regards COIN under the nature and gravity of the insurgency, most modern Armies of the world can only dream about. It took them 4500 men with the ratio of every one officer giving up his life after eight of their soldiers in a span of 12 years to achieve these statistics. This ratio is still applicable and in process with no other Army in recorded history has even come close to these numbers. It is the highest ratio of officers to men killed in any war around the globe in modern history. The resolve of the Pakistani Army is still intact and heads high. Swat is the feather in the cap of Pakistani Army COIN. The Swat model of COIN is in the process of successful implementation all over the insurgents infested areas of Pakistan. This internationally acclaimed COIN model in the scenic valleys up north in the Nuclear Armed Islamic Republic is the showcase of Pakistani Army which it wants to shine in all times to come, not succumbing to any relapse like elsewhere in the world.
Pakistani COIN was based upon the so called 3 D policy of the Pakistani state, which are Dialogue, Deterrence and Development. All three prongs in respective order were successfully implemented at Swat bringing it close to an ultimate successful COIN model. However, the fear of relapse still haunts the minds of senior Pakistani Army officials who are over ensuring the last transition to civilian administration to be perfect, in an imperfect world. The onus of Pakistan Army Swat success model goes essentially to the sacrifices of the Officers and soldiers laying their lives and limbs for a cause they "now believe in". The mass shift in the attitudes of the Pakistani Military came after loss of thousands of comrades by the hands of home grown extremist militants originally created as a result of the USA led Afghan Jihad fully supported by the Pakistani State. Pakistani state suffered by the hands of this Frankenstein they created with the US money to fight the Afghan Jihad. These militant Jihad introduced and indoctrinated by the US-Pakistan alliance gave birth to the Global Ideological Mercenaries which most recently reemerged as ISIS or Daai'sh after a decade long war against their predecessors the Al Qaeda.
Pakistani Army sooner then later realized the menace they had helped to create and after suffering critical blows decided to eliminate them once and for all. They fought a tedious war spread over a decade to present the success story like Swat and elsewhere. Marginalizing the terrorists, the Pakistani Army is now emphasizing on intelligence based targeted operations(IBOs) and winning hearts and minds(WHAM) all across the troubled parts of the country. The remaining few concentrations of the militant Taliban network are being cleared with impunity followed by development works in such areas directed at flourishing the local economy. This addresses the core issue of social deprivation which essentially generates insurgency and help it thrive. Its not as simple as it sounds and hats off to the Pakistani Military for remaining steadfast in the face of all odds and adversities. The Pakistani insurgency is being funded by India through Afghanistan as publicly acknowledged by the former US secretary of defense, Chuck Hegel. In the face of such hostility the kind of defiance being displayed by the Pakistani Military is outstanding while the Pakistani State is largely refraining from responding in kind to the Indians. The Indians justify within themselves their proxy war on Pakistan through funding the Taliban as giving the Pakistanis a taste of their own medicine that they gave to the Indians for over two decades in Kashmir. However, its fire with which the Indians are playing with, which will reach their own backyard if they don't avoid their clandestine black ops in Pakistan through funding the Pakistani Taliban in Afghanistan. This realization is being spread through the Pakistani Military diplomatic prong at Afghanistan and the US.
The diplomatic issues of US withdrawal from Pakistan and stability in Afghanistan are critical for the success of COIN at Pakistan. The Pakistani Army realizing the importance of these diplomatic priorities is actively involved in diplomatic maneuvers aimed at strengthening the Afghan State capacity building in a pleasant aberration from the past. This approach is well acclaimed by all the regional powers including China and the US. Pakistani Army views the Afghan stability as key to its COIN operations at home. A change of attitudes directed at supporting the Afghan government, unlike the past is being noticed by the Pakistani Military through the frequent visits of the Pakistani Army Chief to Kabul. It's a step in the rite direction, where Pakistani Military hopes to neutralize the absconder militants hiding in Afghanistan through cooperation and joint operations with Afghan National Army. A lot is still desired in this aspect, but the direction adopted by the Pakistani State under its Army's advice holds the key to the future of counterinsurg
ency in Pakistan. The fight goes on ...
Pakistani COIN was based upon the so called 3 D policy of the Pakistani state, which are Dialogue, Deterrence and Development. All three prongs in respective order were successfully implemented at Swat bringing it close to an ultimate successful COIN model. However, the fear of relapse still haunts the minds of senior Pakistani Army officials who are over ensuring the last transition to civilian administration to be perfect, in an imperfect world. The onus of Pakistan Army Swat success model goes essentially to the sacrifices of the Officers and soldiers laying their lives and limbs for a cause they "now believe in". The mass shift in the attitudes of the Pakistani Military came after loss of thousands of comrades by the hands of home grown extremist militants originally created as a result of the USA led Afghan Jihad fully supported by the Pakistani State. Pakistani state suffered by the hands of this Frankenstein they created with the US money to fight the Afghan Jihad. These militant Jihad introduced and indoctrinated by the US-Pakistan alliance gave birth to the Global Ideological Mercenaries which most recently reemerged as ISIS or Daai'sh after a decade long war against their predecessors the Al Qaeda.
Pakistani Army sooner then later realized the menace they had helped to create and after suffering critical blows decided to eliminate them once and for all. They fought a tedious war spread over a decade to present the success story like Swat and elsewhere. Marginalizing the terrorists, the Pakistani Army is now emphasizing on intelligence based targeted operations(IBOs) and winning hearts and minds(WHAM) all across the troubled parts of the country. The remaining few concentrations of the militant Taliban network are being cleared with impunity followed by development works in such areas directed at flourishing the local economy. This addresses the core issue of social deprivation which essentially generates insurgency and help it thrive. Its not as simple as it sounds and hats off to the Pakistani Military for remaining steadfast in the face of all odds and adversities. The Pakistani insurgency is being funded by India through Afghanistan as publicly acknowledged by the former US secretary of defense, Chuck Hegel. In the face of such hostility the kind of defiance being displayed by the Pakistani Military is outstanding while the Pakistani State is largely refraining from responding in kind to the Indians. The Indians justify within themselves their proxy war on Pakistan through funding the Taliban as giving the Pakistanis a taste of their own medicine that they gave to the Indians for over two decades in Kashmir. However, its fire with which the Indians are playing with, which will reach their own backyard if they don't avoid their clandestine black ops in Pakistan through funding the Pakistani Taliban in Afghanistan. This realization is being spread through the Pakistani Military diplomatic prong at Afghanistan and the US.
Winning hearts and minds(WHAM)-Pakistan Army Officer helping a boy drink during COIN Operations in the Tribal Areas of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan
ency in Pakistan. The fight goes on ...
