PM allowed force use, but military opposed it

[R Wing]

What else do you call western democracy? Look at yellow vest protest in France, protest by trump follower in US. There are plenty of cases where mobs come out but did the govts budge in to pressure "NO". Such agreements show the fragile foundations of our country where any Mullah alliance can march up with demands abusing Islam and Name of Prophet on the way. Imagine such a protest happening in Saudia or Iran mosy of them would be dead by now or taken to an unknown hell hole.

We are just too weak. Pathetic.

Can't wait for new leadership at GHQ.

 

[Hakikat ve Hikmet]

These TLP is a manageable mob. Think about the “unmanageable” one! Time to panic at some dark capitals…

Sometimes you have to provide a differential treatment….

 

[ziaulislam]

Well let's be honest, the main REASON why the Military advised the government against using Force is simply because these TLP elements ARE ACTUALLY SUPPORTED BY THE MILITARY ! There are NO TWO WAYS about this. When will people realized that it the Military making absolute Fools out of everyone. These Generals are destroying this country, and because they have the largest stick and have unlimited resources, no one can say or do anything to these Generals.

Agree just like lal masjid occupants were supported by military..the killing of 10,000 army men, 40,000 civilians is just cover up to keep the fasacade..india has nothing to do with it

We are just too weak. Pathetic.

Can't wait for new leadership at GHQ.

What? U want a strongman like mushi??

 

[Sal12]

This is Bajwa who surrendered to TLP, now TTP, agreed ceasefire with India, sent Nawaz out, did not use stick for accountability.

Bajwa is man of surrenders. A coward old fart.

 

[AZMwi]

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to reveal the contents of the agreement with the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in the next 10 days even as fresh details emerge that the military leadership had advised against the use of force against the protesters after Prime Minister Imran Khan had authorised it, Dawn has learnt.

After having taken the political leadership on board during the proceedings of the parliamentary committee on national security on Monday, the government has in principle decided to make public the agreement it signed with the TLP but kept secret till its implementation was well under way.

Participants of the briefing told Dawn the senior military officials informed them about how the agreement came about and why it was decided to keep it secret for this long. According to these officials, the primary objective was to get the TLP protesters off the streets so the situation could return to normal. In this context, there was a concern that unveiling the contents of the agreement at an early stage could have triggered a public debate that may have impeded its implementation that in turn was linked with the ending of the protest. Now that the TLP has decided to call off the protest, the agreement will be made public in full, these sources claim.


But before the agreement was stitched up, there was the delicate matter of how to deal with the protesters who were marching on to Islamabad by surmounting all obstacles laid in their way by law enforcement agencies. According to sources privy to the fast-paced developments taking place, the prime minister had authorised the use of force against the TLP marchers. Once this authorisation was relayed, the military leadership reviewed the operational dynamics and possible consequences of using force against the crowd. They calculated what it would entail to apply force against the marchers, and how many casualties could take place if the law enforcers were to use the last resort and open fire on those refusing to disperse. The leadership also factored into this calculation the probable blowback of casualties and its impact on public opinion.

Some of these details were shared by the military leadership with the participants of Monday’s briefing but many are now coming out in greater detail and clarity.

According to sources, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa presented all the pros and cons of using force against TLP workers when the political and military leadership gathered to discuss the issue at the National Security Committee meeting that took place on October 29. People who know the details of this meeting have confirmed to Dawn that the army chief said if the decision-makers were ready to pay the price for using force against the TLP, then the military would do as ordered. However, mention was made of the previous instances where the government had used force against citizens – Lal Masjid and the Model Town incident – and participants of the meeting were reminded of the consequences of both episodes.

By the time this meeting took place however, the government had already taken a tough line and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had quoted the prime minister as telling the cabinet on October 27 that the government would not allow anyone to take the law into their hands and challenge the writ of the state. The information minister had also described the TLP as a “militant” organisation that had links with India.

The military leadership, however, advised against the use of force arguing that it was not a solution. It was then decided to opt for a negotiated settlement in order to, as one source put it, ‘avoid bloodshed’. This is when Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman was identified as someone who could mediate an agreement given his standing as a senior Barelvi cleric. He was accordingly flown in from Karachi, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Read more: Red Zone Files: Mufti in the middle

Proverbially it may be history, but in reality the ink on the agreement is still not dry. Senior officials involved in the negotiation believe the agreement is ‘absolutely in favour of the state’ and that the TLP will have no justification to revert to violent protests again.

The unveiling of the contents of the agreement with the TLP – expected in the next 10 days – will likely spark off a debate that may involve a review of how decisions were made, changed and finally implemented in light of the difficult options available to the government.

Talks with TTP
The participants of Monday’s briefing by the military leadership were also apprised of the status of negotiations with the banned TTP that have made headlines in recent days. The information minister had confirmed after the briefing that the government and the TTP had agreed on a ceasefire for a month while these negotiations progressed in a bid to reach an agreement. However, the context of how and why the government of Pakistan entered into these negotiations is also becoming apparent.

High-level sources have told Dawn the government’s assessment is that it has a window of about six to eight months to strike an agreement with the TTP from a position of strength. This assessment is based on the following reasons:

(1) India was one of the primary supporters and financiers of the TTP based in Afghanistan. It provided money, weapons and other support so that the TTP could maintain its capacity to launch terror attacks on Pakistani soil. Since the takeover by the Taliban, India has withdrawn from Afghanistan and the TTP is weakened due to the lack of support it was enjoying. However, officials assess that India is likely to start regaining a foothold back in Afghanistan in the coming months and this could embolden the TTP. In addition, the TTP is also deprived of other sources of external support now that foreign players have withdrawn from Afghanistan. This situation may not persist for long.

(2) The Taliban’s dependency on Pakistan is also greater now and may decrease over time as other players enter the equation once international recognition is accorded. This dependency on Pakistan at this moment means the Taliban can push the TTP towards a deal that Pakistan favours. The Taliban, according to these officials, have greater incentive to ensure the TTP agrees to the terms being offered by Pakistan. The situation could be different six to eight months from now.

(3) Pakistan’s military and counter-terrorism capacity is primed to lean heavily on the TTP and this is buttressed by the fact that border fencing between Pakistan and Afghanistan is almost complete.

The participants of the meeting of the parliamentary committee on national security were informed that Pakistan’s ‘red lines’ in the context of the negotiations with the TTP were clear: TTP would have to accept the constitution and laws of the land and there would be no compromise on this. Sources also confirmed that those among the TTP who were involved in heinous crimes would be proceeded against as per law. Only ‘foot soldiers’ may be released.

In yet another important development, high-level sources have also confirmed that in order to ensure that lethal weapons left behind by the Americans in Afghanistan do not fall into the hands of TTP and other terrorists, Pakistan is buying back a huge cache of these weapons from the Taliban government who are now in possession of these weapons. It is estimated that US forces left behind nearly 200,000 deadly weapons. Taliban need the money and Pakistan wants to do whatever it can to make sure TTP fighters do not get access to them. According to these sources, Pakistan has already bought a large number of these weapons, which may be given to paramilitary forces like the FC.

While the negotiations with the TTP are being led by intelligence officials, the military leadership informed the participants of the briefing for the parliamentary committee on national security that once the basic agreement with the TTP was documented, it would be presented to the political leadership for final approval. This may mean that the parliament would get to debate it before it is officially signed by the government. Sources said if the political leadership rejected the agreement, the military would revert to kinetic actions against the TTP.

“However conflicts usually end on the table,” one source said. “In another six months, anything could happen in Afghanistan.”

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2021

PM allowed force use, but military opposed it

Details of the talks with TLP and the TTP begin to surface.

www.dawn.com

some PTI ministers tried their best to instigate military against TLP. they just wanted fasaad and bloodshed in the country but failed miserably.

 

[ARMalik]

Agree just like lal masjid occupants were supported by military..the killing of 10,000 army men, 40,000 civilians is just cover up to keep the fasacade..india has nothing to do with it

You are turning into big a sarcastic Monk dude. The sooner people like you stop defending these A-Holes, the better it is for the country.

 

[Big Tank]

What concerns me is not that govt is holding talks with TLP or TTP since Army has both Barelvi (Pro TLP) and Deobandi (somehow soft for TTP) gernails. Shias too.

What disappoints me is that ISI turned the peaceful Barelvis of Pakistan into another Sipah e Sahaba of Deobandis just like they radicalized them. Now the days of SSP TTP LeJ are over. Congrats, lumber one just radicalized another portion of a sect.


Waiting for ISI to launch a radicalized Shia party now.

 

[AZMwi]

This is Bajwa who surrendered to TLP, now TTP, agreed ceasefire with India, sent Nawaz out, did not use stick for accountability.

Bajwa is man of surrenders. A coward old fart.

when bajwa supports imran khan then he is the hero but when he opposes imran khan he is a villain. rip to the logic

 

[IceCold]

You misunderstand strategy.


That's the message. And a very dangerous one. They're rolling out the red carpet for anarchy.

Thats one way to look at it!!!

 

[ziaulislam]

You are turning into big a sarcastic Monk dude. The sooner people like you stop defending these A-Holes, the better it is for the country.

Not defending a holes
Just stating th reality...
Reality is that half a million people gathered at his funeral and alot among them are ready to kill and be killed..
You dont want another TTP..the first TTP was lal masjid doing that killed 100,000 people
Unless educated people correct themselves this will keep happening

Remeber lahore is the most educated oart of pakistan .

 

[Aneeq Rashid]

No where it says that military outright refused Imran khan order. Rather its says "According to sources, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa presented all the pros and cons of using force against TLP workers when the political and military leadership gathered to discuss the issue at the National Security Committee meeting that took place on October 29. People who know the details of this meeting have confirmed to Dawn that the army chief said if the decision-makers were ready to pay the price for using force against the TLP, then the military would do as ordered. However, mention was made of the previous instances where the government had used force against citizens – Lal Masjid and the Model Town incident – and participants of the meeting were reminded of the consequences of both episodes. " This is how decision should be taken with full knowledge of the consequences of the decision being taken. End of the day it was Imran khan decision and he has to live with the consequences rather than Military.

 

[sparten]

If this article is true, it's very interesting to see difference between army and govt play out so openly.

Tell you didn't read the article by not saying you didn't read the article.

 

[Trango Towers]

Force cant work as society has no apetite for it

If 1000 police men die or military men die people will be okay with it but if 50 people bearing assualt weapon in name of God are killed things will go out of control
Just like in lal masjid and several other examples

So armed or unarmed military action will never work..

No they don't.
This has never been tried or tested.
Beat them...ask them on camera the meaning of namaz ... you won't find a single one that knows ...beat them throughly fir misrepresenting Islam. Take their assets for causing damage and teach them a real lesson.

This bs about this will happen and that will happen. Nothing happens..get the leadership

 

[ziaulislam]

No they don't.
This has never been tried or tested.
Beat them...ask them on camera the meaning of namaz ... you won't find a single one that knows ...beat them throughly fir misrepresenting Islam. Take their assets for causing damage and teach them a real lesson.

This bs about this will happen and that will happen. Nothing happens..get the leadership

Who will do that..its a democracy..
Tlp is the strongest religious party as it hold is in central educated punjab

 

[Trango Towers]

Who will do that..its a democracy..
Tlp is the strongest religious party as it hold is in central educated punjab

Tlp is the most anti Islam party in Pakistan...People also said isis was Islamic.
Razwi had the most vile mouth and people would sat subhanAllah when he was swearing....jahils following jahils