It has been reported that the Pakistani army showed no hesitation about pursuing and killing Taliban insurgents everywhere except in North Waziristan, one of the seven tribal areas where different terrorist groups have long enjoyed a privileged sanctuary.

Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Pakistani army chief in Washington six weeks ago, had briefed his American interlocutors on the army's plan for North Waziristan. He didn't want to produce another flood of refugees and his Special Forces were operating stealthily against known hideouts in the tribal agencies. Close, but no cigar.

Kayani agreed "in principle" to large-scale operations in North Waziristan but on Pakistan's own time line. This wasn't good enough for the U. S. side. The longer Taliban enjoys privileged sanctuaries in North Waziristan, the longer the U. S. and NATO forces will remain stuck in an inconclusive conflict.

The report further noted that the state of Pakistan has borne the brunt of harboring terrorists, including the sectarian variety, for many years. Now that the state is finally taking some terrorists head on, it is already well past the time when the sectarian outfits should be brought to book for spreading hate and murderous terror throughout the country. The banned sectarian organizations like the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan are now part and parcel of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.

After being kicked out of the Mehsud area of South Waziristan by the Pakistani army, and moving to North Waziristan (which the army has spared thus far), TTP-LJ is now forcing out Shiites and warning them they would be killed if they attempted to return later.

It was also reported that the militants in North Waziristan, led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur, are constantly being referred to as "pro-government" or non-lethal due to their Afghan-specific militancy. When we hear he is in army custody that simply means he is conferring with his ISI handlers. (With Inputs from Agencies)