In the first year of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, Pakistani security forces have purged Fata of militants and extremists of all hues, which is a huge success. But the ultimate achievement would be the stabilisation of the whole of the tribal areas in the post-conflict period. Military and police action is one aspect of the counterterrorism and counterinsurgency strategy. The more important dimensions of the strategy are political and economic measures, which address the root causes of the conflict. To come up with the most appropriate economic and political measures to counter terrorism and insurgency, there is a need for profound understanding of the conflict, which in turn means comprehending the profile, actors, dynamics and causes of a given conflict. Unfortunately, Pakistani intelligentsia and media have been largely unable to understand the conflict in Fata.
