by Ali Hashmi

Created on: June 13, 2009   Last Updated: June 17, 2009

People like me sitting at home, have absolute credence that we are being exposed to the ground realities by the media. During the past couple of years, the media in Pakistan has fought its battle to gain its well deserved liberty. The Pakistani media, partly played its role in pressuring the government to restore the judges and the Chief Justice of Pakistan was reinstated. This clearly depicts that there are no compulsions on the media here any longer.

Dauntless reporters such as Hamid Mir, Talat Hussain and some brave female reporters from various news channels, have made astounding efforts to bring us pictures live from Swat, Buner and its adjoining disputed areas. We have seen these fearsome reporters standing on the front line and even in the war zones with the army, evading bullets and preparing reports. It was in these hostile circumstances that the underlying stories were revealed to the public that otherwise would have been a crypt. Had the media been silent, then we would have been completely derelict of the happenings.

It was initially conceived that Sufi Muhammad and Fazallulah had mustered the support of the local residents of Swat and Buner and the anarchists were unwavering to establish their rule in the Swat Valley. The matter was taken up lightly by the Pakistani Government initially. But after the media broadcast of the horrendous act in which a teenage girl was whipped before public on some mere unproven allegations and moreover, the videotape that showed some radicals beheading a person, it became blatant that the support of locals was amassed by coercion. The residents strongly wanted the Sufi Muhammad's reign of tyranny to end.

The intelligence agencies discovered some strong links that suggested Fazalullah's connection with Taliban. Nobody is certain as to how the Taliban managed a network of radio stations in the valleys so concealed from the intelligence agencies? A riddle highlighted by the media that still remains unanswered. The Pakistani government offered concessions at first and eventually managed to sign a pact with the Taliban in the north. But it was the Taliban that broke the pact later and moreover threatened to lay siege to the capital, Islamabad. Military became the only course of action.

Military operations has so far been successful only in eradicating extremist elements and dismantling their communications and seizing their arsenal from Swat, Buner and its adjoining areas. The Taliban has been enfeebled. The contention

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