The heightened diplomatic activity in Islamabad during the last few days suggests that long awaited North Waziristan operation is just around the corner.  Just couple of days ago CIA Director Leon Panetta and U.S. national security adviser James Jones visited Pakistan.  It was the first high profile visit since the May 1 botched Times Square bombing in which a Pakistani born Muslim, Faisal Shahzad was allegedly involved.  The two men met with President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday afternoon.  They also had scheduled meetings with Pakistan's spy chief and other officials.  It has also been reported in the media that reports from intelligence agencies have suggested that the Taliban from Pakistan are planning to strike the US in a large scale.  And CIA director Leon Panetta and Obama's national security advisor James Jones supposedly came to inform Pakistan of these threats.  Today a newspaper reported a briefing of f US commander in Afghanistan Gen. Stanley Mc Crystal to Pakistani Army Chief Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani along with a select band of parliamentarians.  This meeting was not heavily publicized in the media was kept low profile as much as possible.  Moreover, yesterday the ‘troika' of President Zardari, Prime Minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani and Army Chief, Ashfaq Kayani had an important meeting in Islamabad.  After the meeting and a statement was released to the media according to which "Any military operation in North Waziristan Agency would be carried out solely on the prerogative and discretion of Pakistan and no external pressure would be accepted on this count".  On the other hand, last night Lahore saw a string of explosions of crackers (low intensity fireworks) in the notorious red-light area injuring 5.  This incident was very similar to what was witnessed in Allama Iqbal Town in Lahore just few day before starting the Orakzai operation.  Hence it seems that a relative calm is going to be broken in the next few days and we can again witness a string of bomb blasts in major cities to build public opinion of a new military operation in North Waziristan. 

All these indications point to the fact that US is pressurizing Pakistan to send its troops inside North Waziristan and Pakistan government just needs an excuse to start it.  But at the same time Pakistani government is trying to save its face and wants to show that she is acting independently and the decision of a military operation would be an indigenous one.  Currently Pakistani army is busy in Orakzai Agency where on a daily bases 30-50 Muslims are killed.  Innocent civilians are being mass murdered without media taking any interest.  Other areas such as Swat, Bajaur and Khyber Agency are also witnessing sporadic bomb blasts, which means that things are not normal in other places either. By over starching Pakistan Army US is keeping it busy to an extent that it may not realize its primary responsibility which is to protect the people of this region by kicking US out and helping those who work to implement Islam by establishing the Khilafah "Caliphate".  Hizb ut-Tahrir Pakistan ran a month long campaign to make the people of power realize their responsibility.  Hizb ut-Tahrir conveyed a declaration to the people of power on 9^th May at Islamabad Press Club which was read out by HTizb ut-Tahrir's brave member Engineer Muhammad Akhmal Khan.  And through Allah's help and sheer planning he was able to sneak through the Press Club leaving the police and authorities outside press club red-faced.  Hizb ut-Tahrir  is currently involved in the next phase of this campaign with an objective of conveying this declaration to the people of power throughout Pakistan.  In this regard hundreds of thousands of leaflets with the text of the declaration will be distributed, banners, posters and stickers will put up calling the people of power to uproot these agent rulers and establish the Khilafah "Caliphate". Moreover, mass SMS, emails and Websites would be used to convey the message. 

The sincere people within the Army hate this American war of fitna which kills Muslims on both sides.  The new North Waziristan operation will further produce disgruntled Army officers and soldiers.  And in a country where Hizb ut-Tahrir  is actively calling the people of power to bring about change, one can expect to hear the "good news" anytime, by the Will of Allah (swt).

Naveed Butt

Official Spokesman of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Pakistan