Khilafah.com

Dawn

By Iftikhar A. Khan

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira has ruled out the withdrawal of troops from the eastern border for deployment at the western border.

‘We cannot and will not do it,' he said at a press briefing along with military spokesman Maj-Gen Athar Abbas here on Monday.

The minister said Pakistan could not remain oblivious to the conventional threat. ‘It is up to the local commanders to decide about the strength of troops required to conduct a counter-insurgency operation in Swat and tribal areas of the NWFP.'

Mr Kaira said Pakistan did not want to create problems for India and urged it to fulfil its international obligations. He said Pakistan wanted resumption of the composite dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.

He said President Asif Ali Zardari's statement that India was no more a threat for Pakistan had been reported out of context. What the president meant was that there was no imminent threat of a war, he added.

Asked why did the government not openly say what it had told parliamentarians during an in-camera briefing that India was among the countries which were arming militants in tribal areas, he said Islamabad was not scared of New Delhi, but it could not say so without having a concrete evidence of this.

‘We will not only raise the issue but will also take an appropriate action when a solid evidence is in hand. The government is behaving responsibly.'

About allegations that terrorists are crossing into Afghanistan to carry out attacks on US troops, Maj-Gen Abbas said: ‘We are trying to stop all those who cross into Afghanistan.'

He pointed out that Pakistan had 1,100 posts on its border with Afghanistan and 40,000 to 50,000 troops were manning the border. He, however, said that about 60 per cent area of Afghanistan was not under the control of its government.

‘We cannot chase terrorists inside Afghanistan and appropriate measures are needed to be taken by the Afghan government.'

In reply to a question, he said Pakistan disapproved of drone attacks in its tribal areas and termed these counter-productive.

WAZIRISTAN
He said that 16 security personnel, including three officers - Lt-Col Tahir, Captain Abid and Lt Zeeshan - had laid down their lives during an attack by terrorists on a convoy of security forces on Sunday in North Waziristan.

Maj-Gen Abbas said that 12 soldiers had died on Sunday while four died of injuries later in the Combined Military Hospital. He said that troops had returned fire and killed 10 terrorists.

He described the attack as ‘unprovoked and uncalled for' and said there was no military operation in the area. He said that security forces reserved the right to respond in an appropriate manner.

He said the action would be in accordance with local customs and the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR).

He replied in the negative when asked if a military operation in South Waziristan had begun. He said the operation was neither against any tribe nor any region but against a group that had challenged the writ of the government.

SWAT OPERATION
The army spokesman said that security forces had secured Biha valley, in the north, and Shamozai, in the west of Swat, and cleared several areas previously occupied by terrorists.

He that militants' command structure had been dismantled, their training centres destroyed, their recruits either killed or driven away and their ammunition dumps and headquarters in Peochar, Chaprial, Matta, Khawazakhela,

Mingora, Kabal, Banai Baba Ziarat, Sakhra Valley, Saidu Sharif and Biha areas had been destroyed.

He said that security forces operating in Swat had established link-up at Khel Kandao while operating in Buner and were consolidating their positions in areas around Dangram, Kukarai and Jambil.

Troops also secured Khazana, Zarra Khela and Garai areas and are consolidating their positions in Kabal, Dhadara, Akhun Khalle, Rangeela and Zarra Khela areas. Security forces began clearance and search operation from Shalkosar to Jukhtai and Balasur to Shah Dheri.

A terrorist, identified as Mohammad Raheem alias Bhai, was captured. Maj-Gen Abbas said that eight terrorists had been killed when security forces raided a compound in Khawazakhela area. Weapons and explosives were seized.

The military spokesman said that hundreds of youths had shown their willingness to join the community police force in Upper Dir and appropriate steps were being taken to recruit them.

In Upper Dir, armed villagers of a tribal lashkar closed in on terrorists trapped in the village of Shortkas-Dogdarra.

Troops recovered 11 tons of wheat stolen from the World Food Programme on May 4 during a raid on the house of one Nek Ikthair in Lower Dir. The wheat has been distributed among the displaced people.

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