Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday announced a fresh "decisive" military offensive against the Taliban and pressed ahead with air and ground operation in northwestern tribal belt where fierce fighting killed nine soldiers and 14 militants, including a son of a hardline cleric who negotiated the Swat peace deal.
Ruling out compromise with or bowing down to the terrorists, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in a televised address to the nation said that "the nefarious activities of the extremists and terrorists and militants to disrupt peace and security had reached a stage wherein the government is constrained to believe that decisive steps have to be taken.
"In order to restore the honour and dignity of our homeland and to protect our people, the armed forces have been called in to eliminate the militants and terrorists," he said soon after President Asif Ali Zardari held talks with US President Barack Obama in Washington.
Obama in his meeting with the Pakistani President had asked Islamabad to deny safe-haven to al-Qaeda and Taliban and linked any military or civilian aid to action taken by Pakistan against the Taliban. Zardari has also been arm-twisted by the US to present a plan of action, set benchmarks and allow auditing in order to get more than $20 billion in aid from the US. However, Obama has assured him that no US troops will step on Pakistan's soil.
Rallying behind the government's move, Pakistan Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Thursday chaired a meeting of the army's corps commanders telling them that requisite resources were needed to gain a "decisive ascendancy" over the militants.
"The present security situation requires that all elements of national power should work in close harmony to fight the menace of terrorism and extremism," he said.
Meanwhile, at least 14 Taliban were killed in intense fighting in Swat and Dir districts. Kifayatullah, the son of Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariah Muhammadi chief Sufi Muhammad, was among 10 militants who were killed in an exchange of fire with paramilitary troops in Dir, the military said in a statement.
The militants were killed when troops launched an attack to flush out rebels who had carried out a raid against security forces at Lal Qila in Dir. There were also reports of fierce fighting at Maidan, the hometown of Sufi Muhammad.
Nine soldiers were killed in a militant ambush in Swat agencies reported. The Taliban also blew up the headquarters of paramilitary forces at Chakdara in Dir. At least 15 personnel were reported missing after this attack though there was no official word on the incident.
The move came in the wake of the violation of a nearly three-month-old peace deal in the Swat valley by the Taliban, who have clashed with security forces and virtually taken control of the region located just 160 km from Islamabad.
Pakistani paramilitary forces had recently launched operations in Buner and Dir districts against Taliban militants from Swat who had entered these areas taking advantage of the peace deal. Nearly 300 militants have been killed in recent fighting in Buner, Dir and Swat districts.
Gilani said the decision to call in the armed forces was taken after "deliberations and consultations with all concerned".
The militants went against the Constitution, democracy, parliament, judiciary and media and this was tantamount to challenging the writ of the state, which cannot be allowed by any government, Gilani said.
"The government had adopted the path of dialogue and reconciliation to resolve problems in Swat and even agreed to the demand to implement Shariah in the region," he said.
Gilani regretted the government's good intentions and efforts to usher in peace had been mistaken as its weakness. It was believed the militants would lay down arms to usher in complete peace in Swat and Malakand after Shariah was enforced in the region but this did not happen, Gilani said.
Instead, the militants violated the peace deal by attacking security forces and making people who were cooperating with the security forces the "targets of their revenge and barbarism", he added.
In Swat, fighter jets and gunship helicopters were used to target militant positions at several places, including Khwazakhela and Matta. Media reports said Taliban commander Ibn-e-Aqeel was killed with three militants in Matta.
Nearly 100 militants were reportedly killed in clashes on Wednesday in Swat and Buner districts, media reports said.
Comments
0 comment