The last time I was here in the Swat valley the Taliban were firmly in control.
It was just before the armies major offensive there and hope for a peace deal between the Taliban and the Government was high.
Within days of my visit the peace deal was in tatters.
Back then the drive into Swat was a tense one. Taliban checkpoints littered the picturesque valley and the turbaned guards had their AK 47 assault rifles on full display.
This time the journey is still tense, but main difference is the Taliban have been replaced by the green of Pakistan's army uniforms.
The army pushed the Taliban out but things are still not back to normal.
We have to pass through a number of army posts and at each one guns point towards our vehicle whilst searches are carried out.
The Taliban still have a presence here, many say they are on the outskirts of the valley waiting for the army to leave.
For the moment though the army is not going anywhere and it's presence is felt everywhere.
Some 30,000 troops are based here. Incredible when you realise the population of the valley is only 1.5 million.
That's not to suggest that the armies presence is all about heavy handed security, although that is a concern.
They are heavily involved in reconstruction. You might think that is noble until hear the locals joke "Well of course they are rebuilding ... it was them who bombed the hell out of us in the first place!"
Humour aside the thing that strikes you about the valley is how much work needs to be done.
Millions of dollars have been promised, but little work seems to be going on.
There are food queues at some shops, and many of Swat's residents still don't have access to electricity or running water.
But there is hope amongst all the fear ... at one sports ground young men with football shirts bearing names of such legend's as "Beckham" and "Ronaldo" kick around a ball and scream at the referee, much like young men do anywhere in the world...it was a heartening sight and one that filled this correspondent full of hope for Pakistan's future even as the armies armoured cars trundled by.
It was just before the armies major offensive there and hope for a peace deal between the Taliban and the Government was high.
Within days of my visit the peace deal was in tatters.
Back then the drive into Swat was a tense one. Taliban checkpoints littered the picturesque valley and the turbaned guards had their AK 47 assault rifles on full display.
This time the journey is still tense, but main difference is the Taliban have been replaced by the green of Pakistan's army uniforms.
The army pushed the Taliban out but things are still not back to normal.
We have to pass through a number of army posts and at each one guns point towards our vehicle whilst searches are carried out.
The Taliban still have a presence here, many say they are on the outskirts of the valley waiting for the army to leave.
For the moment though the army is not going anywhere and it's presence is felt everywhere.
Some 30,000 troops are based here. Incredible when you realise the population of the valley is only 1.5 million.
That's not to suggest that the armies presence is all about heavy handed security, although that is a concern.
They are heavily involved in reconstruction. You might think that is noble until hear the locals joke "Well of course they are rebuilding ... it was them who bombed the hell out of us in the first place!"
Humour aside the thing that strikes you about the valley is how much work needs to be done.
Millions of dollars have been promised, but little work seems to be going on.
There are food queues at some shops, and many of Swat's residents still don't have access to electricity or running water.
But there is hope amongst all the fear ... at one sports ground young men with football shirts bearing names of such legend's as "Beckham" and "Ronaldo" kick around a ball and scream at the referee, much like young men do anywhere in the world...it was a heartening sight and one that filled this correspondent full of hope for Pakistan's future even as the armies armoured cars trundled by.
