Fighting for the Paradise: An Insight into Pakistan’s Counterterrorism Offensive in Swat - Softcover

Malik, Sajjad

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798801819310

Publisher: Independently published, 2022

Synopsis

Who are Pakistan Taliban? How they steadily expanded their influence and power, leading to the creation of a mini-state in Pakistan’s picturesque region of Swat? How was their rebellion subdued?
This book attempts to deal with these and many other questions related to Pakistan’s epic struggle against Islamic extremism. The turning point in this fight was the successful military operation in the Swat area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in the northwest.
The study traces the emergence of the Taliban and their deadly fights with the security forces for supremacy in Swat, known as the ‘Switzerland of Pakistan’ due to its lush green valleys and snow-capped peaks. The conflict ended with the victory of the state forces over the rebels, showing for the first time that the Taliban can be defeated.
The research not just deals with the rise and fall of the Taliban in Swat, but also recommends measures to sidestep such threatening situations in future. The key takeaway is that ‘a stitch in time saves nine’ because a clear policy and timely intervention in Swat and military actions elsewhere in the country, where the Taliban had safe havens, would have helped to avoid thousands of deaths and billions of dollars of economic losses that Pakistan suffered in the long war against terrorism.
The book also provides details about Mullah Fazlullah, better known as Mullah Radio for his Jihadi sermons on a pirate FM radio, and the brand of Sharia his extremists had planned to implement in Pakistan.
Finally, the research shows that there is a cost for everything. The paradise of Swat was regained at a huge cost, but it was worth it.

Edition details

• Publisher: Independently published
• Publication date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798801819310
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 187