Operation Rah-e-Rast (Swat)

[fatman17]

U.S. drones back up Pakistani military's domestic struggle

By Saeed Shah, McClatchy Newspapers Saeed Shah, Mcclatchy Newspapers –

Wed Jul 8, 6:33 pm ET

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The United States conducted two drone missile strikes in Pakistan's South Waziristan region Wednesday, killing at least 45 people, in the latest example of expanded direct American support for Pakistan's military offensive against key Pakistani insurgent leaders.

Pakistan routinely condemns U.S. missile strikes in the tribal region as a breach of its sovereignty. However, Wednesday's attacks, the latest in a series against domestic foes of the Pakistani government, indicated that the two governments are coordinating closely, experts said.

A Pakistani security official based in the South Waziristan area said that Wednesday's first drone strike hit a militant training center early in the morning and killed 10 people south of Makeen, the stronghold of Pakistan's public enemy number one, Baitullah Mehsud, the head of the Pakistani Taliban. The second, in the afternoon, strike hit five vehicles heading toward Makeen from the east, killing 35.

The vehicles, likely to be double cabin pickups with gunmen sitting in the open at the back, were "completely burnt out," the security official said. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity, as he wasn't authorized to talk to journalists. Some reports put the death toll from the second attack at up to 50.

There have been at least six such strikes in the area since June 23 , when a drone bombardment killed 80 people at a militant's funeral in South Waziristan . There also was a missile attack Tuesday in South Waziristan , reportedly killing 12 militants, including five foreign insurgents.

The U.S. attacks have focused heavily on the part of Pakistan's tribal area along the Afghan border that Mehsud controls. South Waziristan also is a base for insurgents who fight in Afghanistan and for al Qaida commanders.

The targeting of Mehsud is a departure from previous drone policy, which concentrated on killing Afghan Taliban and especially al Qaida operatives who were hiding in the tribal belt.

U.S. officials said that the tactic was highly successful in disrupting the midlevel and senior command of the terrorist organization, but there'd been much criticism in Pakistan that the drones went only after the enemies of the United States . This led to a conspiracy theory — which had a wide following — that Mehsud wasn't a target because he was an American agent.

"The frequency (of the drone strikes) has been increased in order to support Pakistan's military operations in South Waziristan ," said Hasan Askari Rizvi , an analyst based in the eastern city of Lahore . "These operations help Pakistan contain Baitullah Mehsud."

Pakistani forces are in the final stages of an offensive in the Swat valley, and are poised to begin an operation in South Waziristan aimed at Mehsud and his network.

Pakistani forces have been preparing the battleground by sending in combat aircraft to pound suspected militant hideouts and defenses. The U.S. drones, which contain highly sophisticated technology for homing in on individuals, seem to be augmenting the attack.

Some think that the U.S. drones could represent the best chance of eliminating Mehsud, who's closely associated with al Qaida and is responsible for dozens of bombings in Pakistan . Around 45 drone strikes have taken place since last August, but they began to fire into Mehsud's territory only this spring.

"Surveys have shown that the people under attack, those in Waziristan, welcome the drones because they are attacking the right guys," said Farrukh Saleem , the executive director of the Center for Research and Security Studies , an independent research center based in Islamabad . "I'd say the drones have been very successful."

(Shah is a McClatchy special correspondent.)

MORE FROM MCCLATCHY

House measure hurts Obama plan to boost jobs in Pakistan

Pakistan desperately needs money to resettle Swat residents

Pakistan now facing 2-front war in Waziristan

Check out McClatchy's politics blog: Planet Washington

 

[SummerWine]

A Formidable Enemy

A Formidable Enemy

The Pakistan Army faces a tough battle ahead as the ‘good’ Taliban join forces with the ‘bad’ Taliban and scrap peace deals.


By Rahimullah Yusufzai

The two-month old military campaign against the militants in the NWFP has now expanded to newer and more dangerous places, such as South Waziristan. This has created a real risk that neighbouring North Waziristan could become the new battlefield, and the conflict could then spill over into adjoining districts in the southern part of the province. Indications of such an eventuality are already visible.

The military operations could unwittingly engulf a much wider area than anticipated. Such a move would not only over-stretch Pakistan’s armed forces, but also prompt the Taliban groups to set aside their differences and join forces to face the challenge.

In fact, in their battle for survival, some of the Pakistani Taliban commanders, such as Hafiz Gul Bahadur in North Waziristan and Maulvi Nazeer in South Waziristan’s Wana area, have already taken the first steps towards extending cooperation to Baitullah Mehsud in resisting the latest Pakistan Army onslaught against him. Their alliance, Shura Ittehad-ul-Mujahideen, or the Council of the Alliance of Mujahideen, which was dormant since its launch in February 2009, is now active and is coordinating the military activities of the three militant groups to fight their common enemy – primarily the US-led coalition forces across the border in Afghanistan, and now increasingly, the Pakistani military within the country’s borders. Attacks in the last week of June by the militants led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur on military convoys on the Miramshah-Mir Ali road and in the Madakhel area in North Waziristan – which killed over 40 soldiers and left scores injured – and the rocketing of the FC camp in Wana by fighters loyal to Maulvi Nazeer, were clear signs that the Taliban in the three different war theatres were coming together to tackle Pakistan’s security forces.

One by one, the peace deals painstakingly negotiated by tribal jirgas are unravelling. The two peace treaties that the government concluded with Baitullah Mehsud, one in February 2005 and the other subsequently in 2008, no longer exist. In fact, these agreements have been invalid since Baitullah Mehsud first unleashed his suicide bombers to spread death and destruction in the country’s urban centres and for the first time claimed responsibility for all such attacks. The peace accords are now simply a scrap of paper, as Baitullah Mehsud was accused of assassinating Benazir Bhutto and became the most wanted man in Pakistan, with head-money placed on him by both Islamabad – offering Rs 50 million, or about $600,000 – and Washington, willing to pay a huge reward of $5 million, or Rs 410 million. The two peace deals in Swat, one directly with the Taliban, headed by Maulana Fazlullah, and the other with his father-in-law Maulana Sufi Mohammad, also predictably collapsed and, on both occasions, triggered more death and destruction than previously seen.

Only one peace treaty is still in place – in Wana, capital of South Waziristan – between Maulvi Nazeer and the government. But it is coming under strain due to the rising tension between the militants and the government elsewhere in the tribal areas. On paper, a peace accord also currently exists in Bajaur. But the militants in the region, led by Maulana Faqir Mohammad, deputy leader of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have been openly violating the deal, by refusing to surrender or even curb their activities.

On June 29, the Taliban militants in North Waziristan unilaterally scrapped their February 18, 2008, peace agreement with the government, after accusing the armed forces of cooperating with the US in carrying out drone attacks against them. Through their spokesman, Ahmadullah Ahmadi, they warned that there could be no peace with the government unless the missile strikes by the pilotless US planes in North Waziristan were halted. Ahmadi also asserted that there had been over 50 US drone strikes in North Waziristan since the signing of the peace agreement that have killed hundreds of people, including women and children.

Their second complaint concerned the recent military operation in the Frontier Region (FR) Bannu, which Hafiz Gul Bahadur considers part of his fiefdom. The military action in the Janikhel and Bakkakhel areas of FR Bannu was launched to punish the militants and the local tribes, under the collective responsibility clause of the infamous Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR), for failing to prevent the kidnapping of around 100 students of Cadet College, Razmak, and some of their teachers. It was suspected that militants loyal to Hafiz Gul Bahadur may have cooperated with Baitullah Mehsud’s men in kidnapping the (mostly teenaged) cadets in the FR Bannu area. The cadets were eventually freed unharmed due to the intervention of the strong Torikhel Wazir tribal jirga, which had threatened to take action against the kidnappers as they had guaranteed the security of the college and its students because it was located in their area.

This marked the second time that the North Waziristan militants unilaterally trashed their peace accord with the government. The first such peace deal was concluded on September 5, 2006, and scrapped 10 months later, when the militants accused the security forces of re-erecting roadside checkpoints that had been dismantled under the terms of the accord. The government, on its part, charged the militants with violating the peace agreement with impunity by setting up a parallel administration, harbouring foreign fighters and carrying out the targeted killings of pro-establishment tribal elders.

The September 2006 peace deal in North Waziristan was roundly criticised by the US and its allies, including other western nations and the Afghan government. It was blamed for an increase in the cross-border infiltration of Afghan and Pakistani Taliban to attack the coalition forces in Afghanistan. In fact, this prompted the US to put its foot down and oppose any future peace arrangements by the Pakistan government with its home-grown militants. This was evident when it opposed the peace deals in Swat, Bajaur and elsewhere. The US had, by then, made it clear that the Pakistan Armed Forces – as a recipient of American aid in the shape of weapons and money – were required to undertake sustained military action against the irreconcilable militants, instead of making peace with them.

The collapse of the latest North Waziristan peace agreement, which was incidentally signed one day before the February 18, 2008, general elections and thus enabled the government to hold polls for the lone National Assembly seat from the area with the help of the militants, could have serious implications. Hafiz Gul Bahadur has reportedly linked the revival of the peace treaty to an end not only to the US drone attacks and the military operation in FR Bannu, but also to the ongoing action against Baitullah Mehsud in neighbouring South Waziristan. For the government, however, this would mean conceding too much to the militants, as the armed forces have already initiated action against Mehsud, while intelligence agencies have created divisions in his ranks by strengthening a rival faction of militants led by Misbahuddin Mehsud, who took over after the recent assassination of his brother Qari Zainuddin by a Baitullah man who had infiltrated the group. Besides, the Pakistan government may be unable or unwilling to stop the Americans from using their missile-fitted drones to target the militants.

There have been no US drone attacks in North Waziristan for two months now, a point that was raised by a jirga of tribal elders that met Hafiz Gul Bahadur to persuade him not to scrap his peace deal with the government. But the enigmatic Hafiz, who operates with utmost secrecy and hasn’t given an interview or interacted with the media, was unmoved. It seems he remains convinced that the security forces would go after him once they have dealt with Baitullah Mehsud, and is therefore ready to enter the battle now with Baitullah and Maulvi Nazeer.

Were the military to take action against Hafiz Gul Bahadur in North Waziristan and, in response to a provocation, start fighting Maulvi Nazeer in Wana and Shakai in South Waziristan as well, the concept of ‘good Taliban’ and ‘bad Taliban’ would be consigned to the dustbin, at least for the time-being. These two Pakistani Taliban commanders were, until now, regarded as the ‘good Taliban’ because they were reluctant to fight the Pakistani security forces or sponsor suicide bombings and were, instead, focusing more on assisting the Afghan Taliban in resisting the US-led foreign forces in Afghanistan. In contrast, Baitullah Mehsud and his allies in the tribal areas, Swat and elsewhere, and those affiliated to the TTP, were referred to as the ‘bad Taliban.’ Once this distinction ends, the military will be free to target all militants, wherever they exist. The battlelines will then be clearly drawn. However, this would also unify all the militants and the disparate jihadi groups, turning them into a formidable enemy.

One strong argument against taking on all the Taliban militants at one time is that this would over-stretch the security forces, threaten their supply lines and increase the risk of retaliatory bomb explosions, including suicide attacks in the country’s towns and cities. The destabilisation resulting from such a massive military action could be much greater than hitherto experienced. This would signal the failure of the classic ‘divide and rule’ tactic, that has routinely been the method of choice for the secret services to weaken and demoralise the militants.

An equally powerful counter-argument, on the other hand, points out that military action against militants operating in different tribal areas and districts would force powerful commanders like Baitullah Mehsud to commit their fighters to stay put in their native areas, to defend their own strongholds. In such a scenario, he and the other strong Taliban commanders would not be able to send their fighters to other fronts to reinforce their allies.

Whatever strategy is adopted by the army high command, it is obvious that this is going to be a long and difficult battle. Counter-insurgency operations are also different and far more comprehensive than conventional ones with political and development segments designed to isolate the militants and win hearts and minds. In addition, while using traditional military force to destroy the militants’ positions, aerial strikes and artillery shelling may help the armed forces to achieve certain objectives. These invariably cause civilian deaths and large-scale displacement, as we saw in Bajaur, Mohmand, Swat, Buner and Dir, and are now likely to witness in South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Orakzai and other districts. Some battles would be won, but far more important is winning the war. And that cannot happen without winning and retaining the support of the people, particularly those in the battlezones.

 

[fatman17]

3 drones target Taliban convoy, 48 killed

Staff Report

PESHAWAR: At least 48 Taliban were killed in two separate drone attacks – one of which was carried out using three drones to target a Taliban convoy – in a stronghold of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud on Wednesday, according to officials and residents.

At least 40 Taliban were killed when a five-vehicle convoy – en route to Sararogha from Ladah – was targeted by three drones from as many sides, said security officials from Wana over the telephone. They said Punjabi Taliban were riding in two of the vehicles while the rest were occupied by local Taliban.

Earlier in the morning, eight Taliban were killed in another drone attack on what local residents described as a training facility run by Baitullah in Karwan Manza area, southeast of Ladah tehsil.

The training facility was “completely destroyed” by the six missiles that were fired, said political administration officials in Wana.

 

[fatman17]

Editorial: Waning power of Taliban

The news coming in from the regions formerly dominated by the Taliban clearly indicate a change in the security situation in Pakistan. Received by a “new mind” in Pakistan, the reports represent a turning of the tide and, more significantly, a change of strategy in the centres of national power. President Asif Ali Zardari, addressing the bureaucrats in Islamabad Tuesday, made some “candid admissions” that the Taliban policy of Pakistan in the past was wrong: “the terrorists of today are the heroes of yesteryear”.

He described the so-called “Taliban policy” when he said: “Militancy and extremism emerged on the national scene and challenged the state not because the civil bureaucracy was weakened and demoralised, but because they were deliberately created and nurtured as a policy to achieve some short-term tactical objectives”. This articulation of “change” through the “redefinition” of old policy was needed although it has come only after the “new policy” of confronting the Taliban was actually executed on the ground.

The presidential remark is a bold assertion in the face of the “socialisation” of the Taliban policy that has still not come to an end. The old policy was strongly advocated by the state through its exponents in civil society. The media and the elements linked to the Taliban infrastructure in the country are still only half-convinced of the new policy of taking on the Taliban. They have barely managed to invent ways of supporting the military action in the wake of a “media suicide” committed by the Taliban in Swat. In this environment, Mr Zardari’s comment can only be described as brave though greatly needed.

Events are actually supporting him. Qari Ilyas Zain, a Guantanamo Bay veteran and Al Qaeda commander who was behind the bombing of a restaurant in Islamabad in 2008, has been arrested by the capital police. In Lahore the police have announced that all the terrorists behind the attack on Rescue 15 in Lahore — which might have been an attack on the local ISI headquarters — have been arrested. Earlier, terrorists involved in the attack on the Manawan police training centre were caught, as were the terrorists who tried to kidnap the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore.

The army has killed four Taliban in the Malakand region on Tuesday while a drone strike in South Waziristan has destroyed a stronghold of the Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud himself, killing 12 including two commanders and some “foreign” terrorists. The big “unofficial” change in the thinking about the drones has come only after the national “redefinition” of the Taliban. Al Qaeda whose existence was being denied on the media not long ago is now a reality and it is a part of the killing machine of the Taliban who actually boast about killing popular religious leaders in the country. Although drones are still “officially” unacceptable, their strikes evoke a weaker negative response now.

More significantly, the Taliban “emirate” of Baitullah Mehsud is fraying at the seams. Commanders unhappy with his policies in the past are now breaking ranks and declaring open rebellion against him. There can be two reasons for their rebellion: that the military operation is having the desired psychological effect; and that more and more Taliban are convinced that Baitullah’s enterprise is not going to ripen into a full-fledged state inside Pakistan. Ever more striking is the development of a counterforce in Tank and Dera Ismail Khan — headed by the “Abdullah” and “Turkistan” groups — willing to fight the Taliban.

Unfortunately, the scale of the “refugee crisis” that has come in the wake of the military action is casting gloom over what should normally have been welcomed as victory. The inability of the state — some of it forgivable — to effectively deal with the crisis is giving rise to negative opinion. Also, the state of political polarisation and the covert efforts on the part of the political parties to pull each other down, are distracting the national attention. And, on top of it all, the state of the economy is making life difficult for the common man and actually negating efforts being made to face off the curse of terrorism.

http://www.thedailytimes.com.pk

 

[Javed3]

Every day we are given the great news that Pak Army has conclusively defeated the militants in Swat, Bajaur, Orakzai, Mohmand, Waziristan.

In the same beathe we are told that a US drone strike killed 50 terrorists.

Then we are told that the IDP can go back to their villages.

The same messages are repeated over and over, week after week.

Then we are told that PA is facing a "formidable enemy" which may take a long time to eliminate.

Then we are told that taleban are fraying at the seems, and the bottom is about to fall out.

Whats the Real Truth?

 

[muse]

The real truth is that the Pakistani government is awful at information operations

 

[seekers]

taliban bullshits are now fleeing in shetelcock burqas. they cant resist in face to face battle. coward taliban only fight with brainwashed suicide bombers or attack by remotes on convay.
their leader mullah omer had also said "we don't quit kabul, we don't quit Qandhar" but fleed in four wheelers and hide.
In current situation they are going hiding and fleeing in mixing with General public.
Pakistan Army is facing the army of Dar mouses which attack in hiding.

 

[Xeric]

FACTBOX-The crisis over Pakistanis displaced by fighting | Reuters

FACTBOX-The crisis over Pakistanis displaced by fighting
Thu Jul 9, 2009 8:08am EDT

July 9 (Reuters) - Pakistan will start bringing people displaced by fighting between security forces and Taliban militants in the northwestern Swat Valley back home from July 13, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said on Thursday.

Following are some facts about the displaced.

- About 2 million people have fled from their homes because of the fighting, most since late April from the Swat valley and neighbouring districts.

- The U.N. refugee agency says it is grappling with one of the largest, fastest and most complex operations it has faced in years.

- Most of the displaced are living with family or friends in "host communities", but about 280,000 are in more than 20 tented camps on the lowland below Swat.

- The government, the army, the United Nations and other aid agencies are helping people in the camps, those staying with "host communities", and the hosts, most of whom are also poor.

- The United Nations has received $223 million in response to a $543 million aid appeal it launched in May in a bid to avert a long-term humanitarian crisis.

- Authorities have said it is safe for people to return to Buner district, to the southeast of Swat, and about 55,000 families, or about 380,000 people, have gone back there, the government agency overseeing relief efforts said.

- Gilani said the government had taken measures to ensure security and restore utilities and infrastructure, however, he cautioned that sporadic incidents of violence could not be ruled out, as there are still daily clashes in parts of the valley.

- Aid workers say many of the displaced are afraid to go home, but also that the strain on host communities is growing as time passes.

- U.N. Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes said on Wednesday the government had to ensure appropriate conditions, especially security, were in place before encouraging people to go home.

- The U.N. World Food Programme has been providing food to the displaced and to people returning home.

- Public support for the offensive against the Taliban is strong, but the government risks losing it if the displaced are seen to suffer.

- Worry is also growing about Taliban supporters creating dissent in the camps. (For more on Pakistan and Afghanistan, click on [ID:nAFPAK]) (Compiled by Islamabad newsroom; Editing by Jason Subler)

 

[Xeric]

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan displaced 'can go home'

Pakistan displaced 'can go home'

Yusuf Raza Gilani
I congratulate the nation that from 13 July the displaced people will start returning to their homes

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has called on people displaced by fighting against the Taliban in the north-west of the country to go home.

He said that the first phase of a four-part programme to return them would begin on 13 July.

It is the first time the PM has made such a call since the army offensive against the Taliban began in April.

The army, meanwhile, says that its operation in Malakand has entered its final phase.

Mr Gilani said that militants had already been "cleared" from Swat, Buner and part of Upper Dir.

Several hundred families from those areas have already begun to return to their homes, officials say.

'No return'

"The electricity has been restored, the gas has been restored, the gas stations have been restored and even the banks have been restored," Mr Gilani said in a news conference.

Displaced children from Swat
It is estimated that at least two million Pakistanis have been displaced

"I congratulate the nation that from 13 July the displaced people will start returning to their homes," he said.

He said that the army would remain in the valley to ensure the Taliban did not return.

The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Islamabad says that about two million people have been officially displaced since fighting resumed in April, with as many as 500,000 more who are not officially registered or are without proper identification.

Plans drawn up by the army's Special Support Group envisage the first batch of displaced people - those living in camps - will return on 13 July.

They will then be followed by those living in government buildings - including schools - and then by those living with friends and relations. The final group of people scheduled to return are those who have moved away from north-west Pakistan.

Our correspondent says that the overwhelming majority of displaced people either live in government buildings or schools, or are being looked after by what are called "host families" in Swabi and Mardan.

The army says that it it continuing to inflict heavy casualties on the Taliban in the north-west. On Wednesday it said that senior Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah had been wounded in the fighting.

On Thursday it said that another Taliban leader, Omar Zadah, had been killed.

 

[Xeric]

The Press Association: Pakistan signals Swat offensive end

Pakistan signals Swat offensive end

1 hour ago

Pakistan has signalled the end of its anti-Taliban offensive in the Swat Valley.

The government is to allow the two million people who fled the fighting to return home next week and said the region was now secure.

The refugees are staying in crowded camps and in homes just south of the north-west region.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said: "The electricity has been restored, the gas has been restored, the gas stations have been restored and even the banks have been restored."

The military launched the Swat offensive more than two months ago after Taliban violated the terms of a ceasefire and began advancing into areas close to the capital.

The army claimed to have cleared nearly all the valley and killed more than 1,500 militants.

The offensive was praised by the West, which has tried for years to get Pakistan to crack down on militants close to the Afghan border.

The insurgents are blamed for spiralling violence in both Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan.

 

[Xeric]

Its All About Pakistan

Body of Umar Zada recovered during search operation: ISPR

According to ISPR press release, during last 24 hours, search and clearance operation were conducted in Swat and Malakand. The body of most wanted terrorsit commander Umar Zada the commander of Sakhra Valley who was killed yesterday has been recovered.

Security forces conducted search and clearance operation in Tiligram valley and destroyed one explosives laboratory, while one soldier was injured. 13 suspected terrorists were apprehended and few others were killed during the search operation.

Security forces conducted search and clearance operation in Kalagai near Matta and defused seven IEDs, destroyed seven hide outs and one terrorist training center including tunnels and bunkers.

During the search and clerance operations at Batkhela area near Malakand security forces apprehended 12 suspected terrorists.

In an IED explosion near road clearance party moving from Jani Khel to Sarabangla, resultantly six soldiers were injured.

 

[Xeric]

Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency )

Admiral Gimpaolo calls on CJCSC

ISLAMABAD, Jul 9 (APP): Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee on Thursday called on General Tariq Majid, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) at Joint Staff Headquarters Chaklala. The visiting dignitary exchanged views on the evolving security situation in the region, progress of operations against terrorism and violent extremism and measures for enhancing mutual cooperation in dealing with the militancy situation on both sides of Pakistan - Afghanistan border.

The Admiral thanked Pakistan for its support to NATO forces employed in Afghanistan and lauded the role and sacrifices made by Pakistan Armed Forces and other Law Enforcement Agencies in striving to bring stability in the disturbed tribal regions.

The Chairman NATO Military Committee also expressed the desire to expand and build enduring relationship with Pakistan.

-----

:: ISPR :: Inter Services Public Relations - PAKISTAN

Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee called on General Tariq Majid, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) at Joint Staff Headquarters and exchanged views on the evolving security situation in the region, progress of operations against terrorism and violent extremism and measures for enhancing mutual cooperation in dealing with the militancy situation on both sides of Pakistan – Afghanistan border.

The visiting dignitary thanked Pakistan for its support to NATO forces employed in Afghanistan and lauded the role and sacrifices made by Pakistan Armed Forces and other Law Enforcement Agencies in striving to bring stability in the disturbed tribal regions. The Chairman NATO Military Committee also expressed the desire to expand and build enduring relationship with Pakistan.

 

[ajpirzada]

this comin 14th august we can again be proud of our nation which accordin to western media was close to becomin a 'taliban state' few weeks back. another dooms day prediction has been proved bogus by us and by fearless soldiers of this motherland. we stood together and defeated this evil in malakand region. and inshAllah we will do the same in waziristan.
with the help from God, Pak Army has achieved another milestone. we will soon be seein the days of my childhood when ppl used to salute soldiers on seein them; inshAllah.
im so happy today. fact that PM made this announcement makes it a lot easier for me to believe.

 

[ajpirzada]

Military operation’s targets achieved; IDPs’ return to start from July 13: PM

ISLAMABAD, Jul 9 (APP): Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Thursday said the government had achieved the targets of military operation in Malakand division and the return of displaced people to their homes would start from July 13. “We have achieved the targets,” the Prime Minister said while addressing a press conference at PM House, however made it clear that the army would remain present in the area even after culmination of the operation.

The Prime Minister said the government was confident to win the fight against militants as it enjoyed full public support over the issue.

When asked whether the military operation would continue as the top leadership of the militants was still at large, the Prime Minister said the operation was the prerogative of the provincial government and they could call in the army wherever and whenever required.

He asked the provincial government to remain firm against the militants and assured federal government’s complete support in this regard.

Gilani also appealed the nation to recognize blacksheep among them and expel them from their ranks.

On IDPs’ return, Gilani said the Special Support Group would chalk out a plan for their safe return to their homes from July 13.

He said by the time the displaced people return to their homes, the issue of security would be completely resolved, adding that the infrastructure of electricity, gas, banks had already been restored.

Gilani also mentioned setting up an institution headed by the prime minister and with others including chief ministers, Inspector General Police, and representatives of provincial and federal governments, which would give an assessment report about the losses incurred in the wake of military operation.

He said the SSG was independent in giving proposals for providing relief to the host families who accommodated the IDPs in their homes.

The Prime Minister said the government’s efforts against terrorism and extremism had resumed the international community’s trust in the country, however stressed that military option was not the solution to restore peace in the tribal areas.

He mentioned the government’s 3 R - Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction policy for the uplift of displaced people and to mitigate their sufferings with sincerity.

He said the militant presented a distorted version of Islam and asked the media to continue working positively and try not to portray the militants as heroes.

He said the military action had full public support, as no one shed tears on the killing of terrorists but for the sacrifices of soldiers who laid their lives for the country.

Gilani said the government would follow the home-grown policy as it was fighting its own war and termed the drone attacks as counter-productive.

“We don’t need to convince them, but if they really want to help us, they should stop the drone attacks.”

About the Ordinance on Petroleum Development Levy, Prime Minister Gilani said it was issued by the President on his (prime minister’s) advice.

He said the government had full respect for the verdict of Supreme Court on staying Carbon Tax, and it always held judiciary in high esteem.

Gilani said being parliamentarian for six times, he fully realized the importance of public vote, however sometimes unpopular decisions were necessary to be taken in national interest.

“The intention [of the Ordinance] is to provide the relief for the future of countrymen,” he said.

Gilani said the government would seek time from the court for its team of financial experts to return from abroad and submit details about the reasons for the act.

“Whatever the court would decide, we would respect it,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the government had allocated Rs 50 billion for the uplift of displaced people of Malakand division.

Gilani said his resolve was to protect the institution rather than strengthening his own office.

The Prime Minister recalled that the government earlier introduced Nizam-e- Adl ordinance in Swat in accordance with the aspirations of local people, after it was approved by the President.

However, he said when the writ of the government was challenged and with growing reports of the incidents of killings of innocent people and desecration of sacred places, the government decided to undergo military action.

He acknowledged the sacrifices of the armymen who laid their lives for the security of country and said a monument would be built to commemorate their great services.

The Prime Minister also mentioned the sacrifices of Internally Displaced Persons who left their homes for the betterment of country’s future.

He appreciated the provincial government, NADRA and Special Support Group for amicably dealing with the issue of displaced persons and providing them every possible facility.

Gilani said Opposition’s positive approach developed a sense of realization among the masses, adding that media also played an important role in highlighting the issue.

Associated Press Of Pakistan ( Pakistan's Premier NEWS Agency ) - Military operation’s targets achieved; IDPs’ return to start from July 13: PM

 

[Skywalker]

Every day we are given the great news that Pak Army has conclusively defeated the militants in Swat, Bajaur, Orakzai, Mohmand, Waziristan.

In the same beathe we are told that a US drone strike killed 50 terrorists.

Then we are told that the IDP can go back to their villages.

The same messages are repeated over and over, week after week.

Then we are told that PA is facing a "formidable enemy" which may take a long time to eliminate.

Then we are told that taleban are fraying at the seems, and the bottom is about to fall out.

Whats the Real Truth?

Instead of creating a confusion here and also undermine the sacrifices made by PA, would you kindly let us know what do you actually wanna know here.