Actually, I should say Pakistan is still preparing another offensive into the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas(FATA) alongside eastern Afghanistan.
In mid-January I noted a report that made it seem like a Pakistani army offensive into the Orakzai tribal agency was "imminent". "Imminent" could have been more relative that I thought given the delay. Or it could have been the prospect of a winter-offensive into a mountainous terrain. Or it could have been the return of militants further north in the Bajaur agency.
Whatever the case, there is another report that the Pakistani army is preparing to go into the Orakzai tribal agency to flush out militants.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan(TTP), or "Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan", was kicked out of the Mehsud-regions of South Waziristan last year. Since then their membership has spread. Some were thought to have ended up in Mullah Nazir's territory in South Waziristan, some in North Waziristan, and further north as well into Khyber, Kurram, and Orakzai. The Pakistani security forces began to press the Khyber Kyrram and Orakzai region, central FATA let's call it, and then they seemed to be gearing up for a major push into the new/next stronghold of Orakzai. But violence increased in Mohmand and Bajaur, especially the norhern-most agency of Bajaur. Now that Bajaur is thought to be cleared of militants(again), the Pakistani army seems to be retraining their sights on Orakzai and also part of Khyber.
Dawn:
FC commander Major General Tariq Khan said security forces were going to launch operations in Orakzai and Tirah very soon.
Hakimullah Mehusd had been given command of central-FATA. After the death by drone of Baitullah Mehsud, Hakimullah Mehsud became the overall commander of the TTP. After the Pakistani's launched Operation Rah-e-Najat in the Mehsud regions of South Waziristan, Orakzai became their stronghold. With Hakimullah Mehsud reportedly dead(I still believe it despite that video floating around), the regional commander of Orakzai agency has been reported to now have command of the TTP. The Frontier Corps commander Major-General Tariq Khan, who was instrumental to the Pakistanis in finally besting the militants in South Waziristan, recently boasted about how the "invincible" anti-Pakistan militants have taken such a beating.
I have been of the opinion for awhile that the Pakistanis should not be expected to make a major move against the Afghan Taliban until they considerably neutralize the effectiveness of the Pakistani Taliban. It makes sense. The Pakistani Taliban are the ones blowing up Pakistani targets- who can blame them for prioritizing? Well, as yesterday's diary discussed, they certainly are beginning to move against the Afghan Taliban. The confidence of the Pakistanis is extraordinarily high right now.
As for North Waziristan and Mullah Nazir's territory in South Waziristan, which is where al Qaeda Central is widely-thought to be, we'll see what happens- after whatever happens in Orakzai agency.