Pakistan's generals come down hard

[fatman17]

Pakistan's generals come down hard

By Syed Saleem Shahzad

KARACHI - With Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's allies routed in last month's parliamentary elections and civil society led by lawyers aggressively calling for his dismissal and trial for his actions in the "war on terror" over the past eight years, Musharraf has received a boost with the top military brass putting their weight behind the presidency.

Faced with rising militancy, the military did not have much option but to close ranks and back the US push to tackle Taliban and al-Qaeda militants head-on.

At a Corps Commanders conference in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Thursday, army chief Lieutenant General Ashfaq Parvez Kiani rejected suggestions of "distancing of the army from the president", adding that "any kind of schism, at any level" wouldn't be in the national interest, according to a statement released by Inter Services Public Relations.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the chief of the Jamaat-i-Islami party and a leader of the All Parties Democratic Movement, called the Corps Commanders' proclamation "disappointing". In a statement released to the national press, he said the move was an intervention by the military in politics.

The Corps Commanders' meeting took place soon after Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Armed Forces, had met in Pakistan with top military leaders, as well as with Musharraf.

There has been a noticeable spike in suicide attacks on the military in the past few weeks, including the killing of the army surgeon general, Lieutenant General Mushtaq Baig, and Tuesday's attack on the Navy War College in Lahore, the first on a naval installation.

Asia Times Online has narrated (Pakistan's grand bargain falls apart, March 6) how Pakistan's new military leadership under Kiani had devised a roadmap aimed at national reconciliation without compromising the country's commitment in the "war on terror".
The plan centered on developing an understanding with the Pakistani Taliban in the tribal areas that at the onset of a planned military offensive there, both sides would attempt to keep losses to the minimum; that is, they would go through the motions while Pakistan fulfilled its obligations in the eyes of the world in cracking down on militancy ... but in the latest suicide attack on the military, the fourth in five days, bombers on Tuesday targeted the Navy War College in Lahore, killing six people and injuring 18. This string of attacks leaves the new military chief, Lieutenant General Ashfaq Pazvez Kiani, with the unpopular choice of having to take off the velvet glove to reveal an iron fist against militancy.

The chief beneficiary of this would be Musharraf, who has rapidly been losing his grip in the wake of Kiani's popular steps of reconciliation. Politicians elected in last month's polls for a new Parliament have already indicated they want to oust Musharraf for his heavy-handed role in prosecuting the "war on terror" during his eight years as a military ruler.
Now, the militants have shown they want to fight and are not interested in reconciliation, thereby opening a new chapter in regional confrontation.

A new confrontation brews
Cell numbers two and three in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail and a special cell in Faisalabad Jail are earmarked for those "war on terror" inmates who have been sentenced to death. Cell number two holds prisoners from the Pakistan Air Force convicted for their involvement in an attack on Musharraf in 2004 in Rawalpindi.

Asia Times Online contacts say that soon after Baig's killing, these inmates were subjected to a new round of interrogation. The main persons interrogated were a chief technician identified only as Khalid, a senior technician named Karam Din, and a corporal technician Nasrullah. Their relatives were presented in front of them in jail and the prisoners were threatened that if they did not cooperate in helping to break terror networks, their relatives, including women, would be "roughed up" in front of them.

Subsequently, raids were carried out across the country, including at leading Islamic seminaries, and scores of suspects were rounded up, particularly from Rawalpindi, where the military conducted a massive crackdown.

The raids reinforce the conviction that there is no longer any chance for reconciliation, at least for this year, and that the Pakistan armed forces and the militants will be battling it out with full force, whether in the main cities or in the tribal areas along with North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces.

Thursday's Corps Commanders' meeting confirms this open battle against the militants as a continuum of the Washington-led "war on terror".

Syed Saleem Shahzad is Asia Times Online's Pakistan Bureau Chief. He can be reached at saleem_shahzad2002@yahoo.com

 

[solid snake]

We cannot dilly-dally about like this. There is no choice but to fight this war, so why not do it right and with our full might? This problem would have been much smaller by now if the military had exerted more efforts in the past.

Now stupid morons like Nawaz Sharif want to jeoperdize all the good work that has been done in recent months in our efforts to eradicate the enemy within.

The US will never accept a cessation of hostilities against the Taliban. Our millions of dollars are at stake, both in terms of money we've paid for F-16s and missiles and the millions/billions we get in form of aid and loans.

Let the people ***** all they want. A war against terrorism cannot be abandoned. The consequences are severe. The Iraq war has little support in the US, and despite years of protests from the public the military has done what needed to be done.

The new US President may be successful in pulling out their military from Iraq in 2009-10, but they are not pulling out of Afghanistan anytime soon. They are infact about to increase their presence there and will focus on this war more than Iraq very soon. So it is in our interests to win this war against the Taliban. I hope Kayani knows that, like Musharraf did.

What a smart man Musharraf is. I'm amazed.

 

[MOSABJA]

now this guy is

First he said that Kiyani wants an understanding with Pakistani taliban.

On the other hand he is saying that military would go down hard.


I think we should use a 2 pronged strategy.

SECONDLY.

When americans are going to pull from Iraq and concentrate on Afghanistan its gonna be worse for Pakistan since they would fan the baloch insurgency.

So we should be worried at their TROOP INCREASE rather then be HAPPY.

 

[solid snake]

What does the US have to gain in Balochistan? Any military escalation on Pakistani soil brings in the possibility of nukes, and the US does not want that. US wouldn't be training and arming the Pakistan army if they were trying to fuel the Baloch insurgency.

 

[Interceptor]

now this guy is

First he said that Kiyani wants an understanding with Pakistani taliban.

On the other hand he is saying that military would go down hard.


I think we should use a 2 pronged strategy.

SECONDLY.

When americans are going to pull from Iraq and concentrate on Afghanistan its gonna be worse for Pakistan since they would fan the baloch insurgency.

So we should be worried at their TROOP INCREASE rather then be HAPPY.

Becareful the article is based on a opinion and not word of mouth, so it take it as a pinch of salt.

This war is on so called terror is now going to be supported Yes/No well its all going to be decieded by the coalition government that will soon take power.

 

[moha199]

Becareful the article is based on a opinion and not word of mouth, so it take it as a pinch of salt.

This war is on so called terror is now going to be supported Yes/No well its all going to be decieded by the coalition government that will soon take power.

Dude i wounder what will take to undersatand that this was is not SOCALLED TERROR it is war on terror. geez I guess you have no respect for human life their are over three thousand Pakistanis have both civil and army personals.

 

[batmannow]

I, guss there is no need to have 2 pronged stategy to fight these crimnals, there is only just one way out which is FIGHGT. we cant send double signals to people like BAIT ULLAH MESHUD, we cant let these people capture pakistan by SS bombings.

ABOUT the recnt pakistani political, and law & order situation, surely pakistan need MUSHARAF as a leader who can stand against all the upcomming, crouption and terror and cant find some 1 else , even in the lines of pakistani politicains because of there past records and history but at the same time MUSHARAF ALSO SHOULD LEARN, FROM HIS RECNT PAST MISTAKES.

BIGEST mistake musharaf ever made, was showing WEEKNESS to his opponents and accepting un logical theories to fight terrorism inside pakistan by his outside allied supporters, because of that he got all these mess which is making pakistan more volunarable to terrorists and thier masters.

BUT it is also , a hard fact that paklistan need a leader which can stand against all odds and , should have the ability to make big steps at the same time for that very reason, i guss pakistan have only one person who qulify for that job! MUSHARAF , yap my dear fellows you need him again , yap after all those mistakes , yap after all this mess, only he is the one who had served and expirenced every thing on the highst level.

 

[blain2]

Lt Gen Kiyani? This guy Syed Saleem Shehzad is a moron of the first degree. As usual unsubstantiated BS being spouted from his mouth.

The plan centered on developing an understanding with the Pakistani Taliban in the tribal areas that at the onset of a planned military offensive there, both sides would attempt to keep losses to the minimum; that is, they would go through the motions while Pakistan fulfilled its obligations in the eyes of the world in cracking down on militancy ... but in the latest suicide attack on the military, the fourth in five days, bombers on Tuesday targeted the Navy War College in Lahore, killing six people and injuring 18. This string of attacks leaves the new military chief, Lieutenant General Ashfaq Pazvez Kiani, with the unpopular choice of having to take off the velvet glove to reveal an iron fist against militancy.

Laughable...the retard needs to be reminded that among the article laden with false innuendos and speculation, the chief of the Pakistan Army is a 4 star general and not a Lt Gen....lifafa journalism at its best.

 

[Majnun]

If Musharraf has the power, he should come down hard on Islamic militants, not to quieten them, but to totally crush them, like Ataturk did. Jinnah said if he had Mustafa Kemal's power he would not hesitate to do the same thing.
The problem is, Musharraf may not be powerful enough but the military should completely crush militants and reduce madrassahs.

 

[Mustang125]

Actually this is a shutup call to Imran Khan & Youthias who were targetting ECP credibilty and targeting state instituions without any evidence. PMLN should be credited for organizing free and fair elections without any violence.

Since Youthias lack logic and rely on memes they dont know that actually PMLN snatched 5 seats from PTI and lost 2-3 seats due to internal politics because all those 20 seats belonged to PTI. This means PMLN will retain its seats and snatch some PTI seats in General Elections

Again this time PTI Punjab government will be formed with even thinner majority of only 1-2 seats.

Some battles are lost to win WAR - Youthias will never understand this.



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By your logic dear sir, the “youthiyas” lost 5 seats and “lost” the battle but won the war of CMship and majority in the provincial assembly lol.