Peace in South Waziristan. Gulf News visits an outpost near the Afghanistan border in South Waziristan to showcase people rebuilding the region. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv
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00:00Driving to South Waziristan, I had strong apprehensions about security.
00:12Until 2010, this area which borders Afghanistan was virtually a no-go zone, under the control
00:19of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
00:22Though the Taliban were overthrown in a large-scale military operation by the Pakistan Army in
00:272009, there was widespread destruction and displacement.
00:32About 300,000 Mehsud tribesmen and their families moved to adjoining settled areas of Tang and
00:39Deira Ismail Khan, of which 50,000 have since returned home.
00:44But the biggest surprise I encountered was the absence of any weapons.
00:48The Mehsuds have given up their arms as part of an agreement with the military.
00:52Their focus has now shifted towards educating their children and increasing their livelihood.
00:58Moving into the heart of South Waziristan, I saw that roads have been rebuilt, as have
01:03the tunnels and many of the bridges across the Tang-Sam river.
01:07I was impressed to see newly built bus shelters, community markets, playgrounds and poultry
01:14farms.
01:16Many youngsters gathered in the evening to play football and cricket.
01:19It was heartening to see many children walking to school, including young girls.
01:28On route from Jandola to Sararoha, we stopped at Kot Kai, where I witnessed the destruction
01:34from when the military had faced stiff resistance from the Taliban.
01:38The houses of Hakimullah Mehsud and Qari Hussain, both Taliban leaders, now lay in ruins.
01:46Standing defiantly nearby, I saw a few of the homes that had been built by the army
01:51for at least 200 widows.
01:53Kot Kai, which was the Taliban headquarter, now also has a football academy for youngsters
01:59and a large community centre.
02:02As we made our way towards the Shahbozai military base, we stopped at a free medical and relief
02:07goods distribution camp, where local tribesmen and their children had gathered to receive
02:12free aid donated by civilians and the military.
02:16These camps are set up periodically to help promote villagers.
02:25Arriving at the Shahbozai base, which stands at a height of 6,000 feet, I met the officers
02:31in charge and was allowed to explore the bunkers and the living quarters of the soldiers that
02:36guard this mountain outpost.
02:40Brigadier Hassan Hayat of the 40th Division, who commands the Sara Rogha site, told us
02:46about the duties relegated to the soldiers and commanding officer at the base and about
02:51the area itself that stretches into North Waziristan and the international border with
02:56Afghanistan.
02:57This is North Waziristan and this is South Waziristan.
03:01This is our area we have occupied.
03:03You can find post pickets made on every bunker.
03:07So this is all along occupied and that is how we start rehabilitating and securing the
03:13area.
03:14So there are small gaps in between, you can't close the compartment because it's more difficult
03:20ground when you go on the ground.
03:22Now this mountain is there, we call it 2030, so that we dominate.
03:27So if we don't dominate, then somebody else will dominate that.
03:32So you have to keep going there, spend two nights, three nights in the wilderness, come
03:37back and sometimes we go for operations even far behind these places.
03:42So this is around the clock monitoring?
03:44Around the clock, they're staying here.
03:47It's not only staying here, like you see, this is a gap, the next base is there, so
03:55this is a gap, so they monitor this, they foot it out at night also, patrolling.
04:00In case somebody comes and can fire from there, so you have to go dominate those places.
04:05And what we call operations are, like these places were not occupied sometime back, we
04:11were sitting somewhere in the rear.
04:13So we operated, full operation here, if we find any resistance, then you go and occupy
04:21and likewise you keep extending yourself, operations.
04:26It struck me that South Waziristan has been able to emerge so quickly from decades of
04:31negligence and militant rule.
04:33Looking out over the mountains of the north, I could not stop myself from hoping that North
04:38Waziristan would also one day enjoy the same peace, stability and progress.
04:44Faryal Leghari, Gulf News.