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Operations to end after total control: COAS
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
TTP threatens attacks as deadline expires
ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said that the Pakistan Army has the capability to carry out an operation against miscreants at border and no foreign power will be allowed to use Pakistans soil for operation.
The COAS, who called on Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani here on Tuesday night briefed him (PM) about the situation in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and discussed issues concerning national security.
Well-placed sources revealed that during the meeting Gen Kayani told the prime minister that the Army has taken complete control of several tribal areas. As soon as the Army will achieve its remaining objectives, the operation would be wrapped up in these areas, he added.
He said the Pakistan Army favours dialogue process and it is following the governments three-point strategy while use of force is the ultimate option. He further said that after the completion of the operation, the control of these areas would be handed over to the civil administration. The Pakistan army is ready for every kind of sacrifice whenever its services will be required, he said. While commending the contribution and services of the Army, he said that the Army would be provided with all kind of resources. Online
Mushtaq Yusufzai adds from Peshawar: Baitullah Mehsud-led Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has threatened to launch attacks against the ANP-led NWFP government after the deadline seeking an end to the military operations in Hangu and Swat or resignation by the government expired on Tuesday.
"Our Shura (council) held a detailed meeting on Tuesday and decided to launch armed activities against the ANP government in the NWFP from Wednesday should they fail to stop the military operations against us in Swat and Hangu districts," said Maulvi Omar, a spokesman for the TTP.
Accusing the Awami National Party-led NWFP government of insincerity in peace talks and reneging on promises made with the TTP leadership, Baitullah Mehsud last Thursday had asked the ruling coalition provincial government to step down within five days or face an armed movement from the militants.
Maulvi Omar said their deadline expired on Tuesday evening, but the ANP leadership neither approached them for concrete peace talks nor took their threat seriously. "It's an important issue but the ANP leadership did not take it seriously. They should have taken it seriously as we don't want any confrontation with the party and its government. This party came into power as a result of its pledge to restore peace to the province and the adjoining restless tribal areas. We realised contradiction in their words and deeds," remarked the militants' spokesman while quoting Baitullah Mehsud as speaking to a council of his TTP commanders at an undisclosed location.
According to Omar, Baitullah told the council that it was the Frontier government that had first signed the peace agreements with them and then took action against his people, first in Swat and then in Hangu.
Baitullah reportedly said the ANP leadership was earlier pretending that since the tribal areas were beyond their control, they could not stop the military operations there, but now they carried out military action against them in the settled districts, which exposed the party's double standards.
He said the situation in Swat and Hangu would have a direct impact on the rest of the settled districts and the tribal regions. Baitullah said his men would have no other option but to launch attacks on the provincial government and its installations if, what he called, the killing of his people was not stopped in the two districts forthwith.
Maulvi Omar said although the deadline expired on Tuesday evening and no ANP leader had contacted them, yet they had not directed their militants to resume armed activities against the government, as they wanted to give it more time for deliberations and find an amicable solution to the issue through a meaningful dialogue.
"The issue is very simple. If the party thinks it has no control over the Army to stop the military operations, it should tell this to the people and peacefully quit," explained the militants' spokesman while quoting Baitullah as telling his commanders.
He claimed the party called the Pakistan Army troops to the peaceful Hangu district and started "unnecessary" military action against their people in which many militants were killed and arrested.
The spokesman said like the tribal areas, they were independently and openly continuing their armed activities in the settled districts during Gen Pervez Musharraf's rule, but the ANP government for the first time took action against "our people" in Hangu.
"Hangu district was our base camp where we were freely moving but it was the ANP government and its police force that arrested our senior important commanders and started a full-scale military operation against us," Maulvi Omar said.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
TTP threatens attacks as deadline expires
ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has said that the Pakistan Army has the capability to carry out an operation against miscreants at border and no foreign power will be allowed to use Pakistans soil for operation.
The COAS, who called on Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani here on Tuesday night briefed him (PM) about the situation in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and discussed issues concerning national security.
Well-placed sources revealed that during the meeting Gen Kayani told the prime minister that the Army has taken complete control of several tribal areas. As soon as the Army will achieve its remaining objectives, the operation would be wrapped up in these areas, he added.
He said the Pakistan Army favours dialogue process and it is following the governments three-point strategy while use of force is the ultimate option. He further said that after the completion of the operation, the control of these areas would be handed over to the civil administration. The Pakistan army is ready for every kind of sacrifice whenever its services will be required, he said. While commending the contribution and services of the Army, he said that the Army would be provided with all kind of resources. Online
Mushtaq Yusufzai adds from Peshawar: Baitullah Mehsud-led Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has threatened to launch attacks against the ANP-led NWFP government after the deadline seeking an end to the military operations in Hangu and Swat or resignation by the government expired on Tuesday.
"Our Shura (council) held a detailed meeting on Tuesday and decided to launch armed activities against the ANP government in the NWFP from Wednesday should they fail to stop the military operations against us in Swat and Hangu districts," said Maulvi Omar, a spokesman for the TTP.
Accusing the Awami National Party-led NWFP government of insincerity in peace talks and reneging on promises made with the TTP leadership, Baitullah Mehsud last Thursday had asked the ruling coalition provincial government to step down within five days or face an armed movement from the militants.
Maulvi Omar said their deadline expired on Tuesday evening, but the ANP leadership neither approached them for concrete peace talks nor took their threat seriously. "It's an important issue but the ANP leadership did not take it seriously. They should have taken it seriously as we don't want any confrontation with the party and its government. This party came into power as a result of its pledge to restore peace to the province and the adjoining restless tribal areas. We realised contradiction in their words and deeds," remarked the militants' spokesman while quoting Baitullah Mehsud as speaking to a council of his TTP commanders at an undisclosed location.
According to Omar, Baitullah told the council that it was the Frontier government that had first signed the peace agreements with them and then took action against his people, first in Swat and then in Hangu.
Baitullah reportedly said the ANP leadership was earlier pretending that since the tribal areas were beyond their control, they could not stop the military operations there, but now they carried out military action against them in the settled districts, which exposed the party's double standards.
He said the situation in Swat and Hangu would have a direct impact on the rest of the settled districts and the tribal regions. Baitullah said his men would have no other option but to launch attacks on the provincial government and its installations if, what he called, the killing of his people was not stopped in the two districts forthwith.
Maulvi Omar said although the deadline expired on Tuesday evening and no ANP leader had contacted them, yet they had not directed their militants to resume armed activities against the government, as they wanted to give it more time for deliberations and find an amicable solution to the issue through a meaningful dialogue.
"The issue is very simple. If the party thinks it has no control over the Army to stop the military operations, it should tell this to the people and peacefully quit," explained the militants' spokesman while quoting Baitullah as telling his commanders.
He claimed the party called the Pakistan Army troops to the peaceful Hangu district and started "unnecessary" military action against their people in which many militants were killed and arrested.
The spokesman said like the tribal areas, they were independently and openly continuing their armed activities in the settled districts during Gen Pervez Musharraf's rule, but the ANP government for the first time took action against "our people" in Hangu.
"Hangu district was our base camp where we were freely moving but it was the ANP government and its police force that arrested our senior important commanders and started a full-scale military operation against us," Maulvi Omar said.
