Kayani pledges matching response in no time
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
By Shakil Shaikh
ISLAMABAD:
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Monday said Pakistan armed forces would give an equal response within few minutes if India carried out any surgical strike inside Pakistan.
He said this in a meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari at the Aiwan-e-Sadr here. The crux of the meeting was that any further buckling under mounting Indian pressure would prove counter-productive in the sense that it would further encourage New Delhi to further build up pressure on Islamabad.
The Army chief apprised the president of operational preparedness of the armed forces. “The armed forces are fully prepared to meet any eventuality, as his men are ready to sacrifice for their country,” General Kayani told the president.
Despite Indian warmongering, President Zardari believed in gearing up efforts for peace, which should otherwise not be taken as a sign of weakness. Zardari said Pakistan wanted peaceful and cordial relations with all its neighbours, but the threatening statements of Indian leadership were creating an atmosphere of aggression and harming the regional environment. The meeting between the two lasted 60 minutes.
The president said, “We are keeping a close watch on all the latest developments and threatening tones of Indian leadership.” He said all the national security agencies, the Army, political leadership and public were completely united to befittingly meet any aggression against Pakistan.
He said Islamabad was in touch with all friendly countries, which were being briefed about Pakistan’s peace efforts and the hostility shown by India. “We do not want any war with India, as that would prove detrimental to both our nations,” the president was quoted as saying.
Zardari, however, expressed his satisfaction over the preparedness of the Army and said all necessary resources would be provided to the armed forces. He said, “We have the right to defend our borders in case of any aggression.”
Meanwhile, amid heightened Pak-India tension and the arrival of highest-ranking US military officer, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, who held talks with Pakistan’s defence managers, several jets of Pakistan Air Force flew over major cities for surveillance.
Mullen met national security adviser Mehmood Ali Durrani shortly after arrival. He was later expected to hold talks with Army chief Ashfaq Kayani on India-Pakistan relations and the fight against Taliban militants operating in the lawless tribal areas on the Afghan border.
Admiral Mullen arrived in Islamabad for talks, what many say an American effort to defuse tension over Mumbai attacks followed by the threatening signals emanating from Delhi. Less than opening the war theatre, Indians have been building up pressure by telling the international community about possible strikes inside Pakistan. “It is always their tactics to tell the worrying international community that it has decided to take serious action and their statements are no more a drama,” said an informed official.
Mullen, who is on second visit to Pakistan this month, intends to plead for peace and security, as any escalation would be harmful for the entire region and there should not be any war hysteria.
The Mullen mission, which is likely to be followed by some US cabinet missions to this region as the Christmas is coming nearer, would primarily focus on boosting the morale of the US and allied troops battling in Afghanistan.
It is seen that the American military and political leadership visits Pakistan whenever they travel to boost their troops’ morale in Afghanistan. Many top officials say that Islamabad should not bank any hopes on Americans primarily for their “dodgy face” and backing out of their commitments in the past.
Agencies add: On the other hand, a high-level meeting with Joint Chief of Staff Committee General Tariq Majid in the chair was held here on Monday. Sources said during the meeting hosts of issues concerning national security came under discussion.
Gen Tariq Majid took the military leadership into confidence on various matters including his recent visit to China, the sources concluded.
US embassy spokesman Lou Fintor told AFP that Mullen was in Islamabad for “scheduled talks with senior Pakistani officials on regional issues”. Mullen was in Kabul at the weekend, where he said the United States could send up to 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan by the middle of next year.
Separately, James T Conway, Comdt US Marine called on Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir at Naval Headquarters here Monday. He remained with the Naval Chief for some time and discussed matters of mutual interest.
Kayani pledges matching response in no time
PAKISTAN ZINDABAD
