Operation Rah-e-Nijat has been termed as the ‘mother of all battles’ and is considered to be the most serious drive yet by the army into South Waziristan. This time around, the military’s objectives are to re-establish the writ of the state in a region where it has conducted operations thrice before, all of which have concluded prematurely with peace deals. According to the military, South Waziristan is the center of gravity of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) which has waged a brutal war on the country, killing scores of innocent civilians and military personnel. The militants also understand the strategic...