We already did the whole 'massive operation'.
That's the point I'm trying to make - you can displace everyone again to carry out this 'massive operation', but then we'll be back in this same situation in a few years when people start returning again, except this time they'll be even more angry at the Army and government and even more susceptible to recruitment by the TTP.
The uptick in attacks was going to happen. Even the military leadership stated this time and again going back to Gen. Kiyani - that the Army can go in and clear the area, but long term stability & peace will depend on how well the civilian government can extend the writ of its institutions to these areas through law enforcement, development etc.
Development and institutional reforms (especially after the merger with KP) are continuing simultaneously with the return of IDP's (and terrorists), so there will be gaps and there will be attacks. The focus, from the Army side, should be on force protection and better intel and surveillance along patrol routes (and that is something you can absolutely criticize the Army over) but with hundreds of thousands (if not a few million) people returning to ex-FATA, there is no alternative to being patient and pushing the civilian government to increase the pace of development and capacity building of local law enforcement.
Doing nothing is also not an option , ask those who lost their young kids in such attacks, leadership travel to Wazirstan every EID but in Helicopters, they don't know jack shit about the situation on ground, and if they do and yet neglecting it , than hang those Generals for Treason .
No offense , but i will use hard language here , but truth is that the Pashton of Tribal belt don't want to live like Humans, they prefer chaos , and lawlessness so they can smuggle things, sell hashsish etc how hard is it for a common Wazirstani to understand that they are fighting the state and their own army ? they are killing them and yet they expect the rest of Pakistan to respect them ? These Tribal Pashton comes to cities and make No Go areas while they dont let anyone else enter their areas , what if we banned anyone from former FATA into Karachi ? All hell will break lose , truth is that these people don't want good life , or standard services , their leaders and most of people see their tribal association above the Pakistaniate , and hence you find so many traitors among them who will plant an IED for what ? 5000 rupee ..
for years they are fighting and yet they don't know what they are fighting for, Islam ? Pashtoonistan ? Afghanistan ? injustice ? yeah Injustice happen but it happens in all over Pakistan , there are millions of pending cases in City courts , but we don't see city people planting IED or attacking Army check posts, and yet Army claims they are " Bhatkay hue log " ? oh bhai they are outright Terrorists , and traitors and they needs to be killed on sight .
Those IDP's are also to blame, yes these people to be blame for whatever they are going through, they harbor such terrorists in the name of Tribal code, and when they start killing their elders they run to Army for help, now after Army clean the Areas they start harboring the Terrorists again, only difference is that now TTP becomes more moderate and nationalistic as PTM and they are now targeting Army instead of Tribal elders , give them time and bring back Army in a couple of years these Tribal elders will be running to Army to clean it all up . they are living in a mess they themselves create , I am starting to believe that we should have kept the Bengali's and give up the Pashtoon at least thousands of Pakistani's would still be alive .