MULTAN, June 9th:The PML-N, according to reports, has at its latest meeting contemplated the possibility of an operation in southern Punjab. Nawaz Sharif has indicated this may be inevitable. Till now the party had consistently refused to acknowledge the presence of militant groups based in the province or consider using force to tackle them. As things stand today, there are few other options. The groups banned since 2002 are back in action; some have adopted new names and a number of them have forged a highly dangerous alliance with the Taliban adding a new dimension to the militancy. The question of course is how best to manage this task. An operation in primarily urban areas represents challenges that go beyond those that exist in the rural areas of the northwest. Even there, civilians have died as a result of armed action. Militant strongholds exist in Punjab. Any action against them must be backed by meticulous intelligence and good sense. The PML-N must ensure the required groundwork is in place before embarking on the task. But the government must also think beyond this. The seminaries dotted across the province need to be regulated and steps taken to ensure that groups which face action by law-enforcement agencies do not spring up again, as has been the pattern since the 1990s. This pattern must be broken once and for all. To achieve this, welfare measures are needed for southern Punjab – a region that ranks among the poorest in the country. Only a clever combination of short- and long-term strategies and tactics can defeat militancy. With the PML-N acknowledging the need for this, we can hope to see meaningful action against terrorism in the province.