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Talks with Taliban should be held under Constitution: COAS

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Talks with Taliban should be held under Constitution: COAS

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KAKUL: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said on Saturday that talks should be held with the Taliban under constitutional parameters.

General Kayani said the Pakistan Army fully supports the dialogue process initiated by the national leadership to tackle the menace of terrorism.

Addressing the passing out parade ceremony of the 128th Long Course here at the Pakistan Military Academy, he said the dependence of the civil and military leadership on each other was essential. He said the army will be glad if peace was established through talks.

The army chief said terrorism was a big challenge, and the leadership and the nation had to decide the ways and means of the dialogue process, which was becoming clearer with the process moving ahead.

He said it was imperative that the dialogue process forge unity among the nation instead of creating any divisions.

General Kayani said the impression that the course of dialogue had been adopted after the failure of military operations was totally wrong. He said the desire for talks should not be considered as a weakness. He said the Pakistan Army has given matchless sacrifices in the war against terrorism and achieved major successes against the menace. He said the military should not be ridiculed.

The COAS said the use of power would be the last resort. “If needed, the army is fully prepared for its effective use. There is no confusion among the army in understanding and playing its role in both the situations.”

Pakistan, he said, was passing through a critical and difficult phase and the military leadership must play its role to strengthen the democratic system. “The entire nation has to play its role for the resolution of the country’s problems,” he added.

Terming terrorism a big challenge for the nation, he said it was not only contrary to the country’s ideology but also the teachings of Islam.

General Kayani said the Pakistan Army had played its role against terrorism in a very difficult situation. “We should remember those days when armed groups were just 100 kilometres away from Islamabad. When men and women were being slaughtered in the bazaars, and the Green Chowk of Mingora was called a ‘Khooni Chowk’. Roads were deserted while businesses and the economy went into the hands of criminals.”

In these situations, he said, the efforts and sacrifices rendered by the Pakistan Army have no parallel in present war history.

Quoting the example of Swat, he said more than two million people were rendered homeless but the army took them back to their homes.

“We purged Swat of the militants through a swift and effective military operation and two million people returned to their homes in four months. Today, there is complete peace in Swat and the people of the area are witness to this reality,” he said.

The army chief said due to lack of coordination among institutions, the state system could not be evolved properly.

“Due to economic imbalances, the rich became richer and the poor poorer while a weak governance system and intolerance aggravated the situation further,” he said, adding: “We should accept that neither any particular person nor any segment of society has a remedy for the problems. We should also accept that these problems cannot be resolved in a few months or years.”

General Kayani said the entire nation would have to play its due role while the national leadership would have to show it the right direction. “We will have to stick to this path. This can only be made possible if there is harmony among different state organs,” he said, and added that the country had already suffered and could not suffer any more.

He stressed the need to further improve civil and military relations. He said it was imperative for the military leadership to continue working for strengthening the democratic system in the country.

For this purpose, he said, more confidence among the state institutions was needed. “This process has started and it should continue in the future,” he added.

The COAS pointed out that confidence and relations among state institutions anywhere in the world were not exemplary.

He said some mistakes were committed during the process of the governing system’s evolution elsewhere in the world and the same was the case in Pakistan too. He said society has a key role in correcting these mistakes through constructive criticism.

“If there is an insult in the criticism, the institutions instead of taking corrective measures, get involved in fighting and become weak or stop performing. Therefore, there should be positive criticism,” he said.

Pakistan, he said, would develop when its institutions would become strong. He was happy that the society not only understood this but had also made good progress during the last few years in that regard.

He said learning lessons from past mistakes was a must for a bright future. “But totally ignoring successes makes the people despair. We should not forget that we had struggled for the country’s development against all odds and mistakes,” he said.

General Kayani said the efforts culminated in the present democratic system, which was the central point of the Constitution made with national consensus. He said all the political parties had accepted the results of the 2008 general elections. He said after the 1970 elections, the people in largest numbers had voted in the 2013 general elections. “Now there are elected governments at the Centre and in the provinces. We are now standing with the democratic nations,” he said.

He said the armed forces also fulfilled their constitutional obligations. “It was difficult to maintain law and order during the elections. But the Pakistan Army along with other institutions was able to create a conducive atmosphere for the polls,” he said, adding: “During the last two elections, the foundation for a democratic Pakistan has been laid and now the present and coming generations should build a structure over it.”

He said: “Now we have left behind a bitter past when the nation had to undergo various experiences. Today the nation’s fate and destiny is in the hands of its own leadership. This success is a proper reply to those, who are spreading rumours about the country’s future.”

General Kayani said Pakistan’s ideology was based on democracy. “The elements who were busy in working against the ideology, should understand that the country’s future was linked to democracy.”

He said the founder of Pakistan while addressing the Constituent Assembly had set the direction for the countrymen. “All the people enjoy equal rights in an Islamic welfare state. Any negative approach, which hampers basic democratic rights, has no place in our national life. People’s welfare, tolerance, and the acceptance of the Constitution can make the democratic system a complete success,” he said.

Citing examples of success in the war against terrorism, the army chief said that besides Swat, South Waziristan, Orakzai, Mohmand, Bajaur, Dir and recently the Tirah valley were freed from the terrorists and extremists.

“We are proud of restoring the writ of the state over an area of 37,000 square kilometres. The successes were achieved through the blood of thousands of Shuhada and Ghazis and creating confusion in this regard will be disrespectful to them. It is not difficult to gauge what would have been happening today without these successes,” he said.

He said there was no price for sacrificing a life and no one was demanding the same. “But we are way ahead of those respectable societies which give respect to those, who lay down their lives for the country.”

That was why, he said, the Pakistani officers and soldiers did not undergo any stress despite passing through a very difficult situation. “They were performing the sacred duty for the country’s defence without any pressure,” he added.

He said that in the developed countries, soldiers after returning from the battlefield suffered from mental stress and had a tendency to commit suicide. He said there was not even a single such example cited in case of the Pakistan Army.

Pakistan, he said, was passing through a difficult and critical phase. “Nations have to undergo such situations, but those, who accept them as a challenge, become stronger ones.”

He admitted that mistakes had been committed. But at the same time, he said, some good things had also been done because of which Pakistan was a sovereign and strong country today.

General Kayani said the army had achieved all its successes despite limited resources. He said despite a jugglery of figures by some people, the defence budget is 18 percent, not 80 percent.

“We understand that real national security lies in a prosperous and confident people. Pakistan will only be safe against foreign aggression when the entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the army.”

It will only be possible when the country’s economy is strong, as internally weak nations cannot meet external challenges, he added.

He said that the Pakistan Military Academy had a special place among the world’s military academies.

The army chief said that he was standing at a place from where he started his journey in 1969. “And what I have achieved during these 44 years is bestowed upon me by the country,” he said, adding: “After getting close to the end of a long journey, I can say that the country’s sovereignty is a guarantee of our development and that of the coming generations. From today, you (the passed out cadets) are guarantors of the country’s sovereignty.”

Source:
Talks with Taliban should be held under Constitution: COAS - thenews.com.pk
 
Talks with the Taliban should be held under the constitution? :woot: And the TTP will agree? Which world is Kayani living in?
 
Talks with the Taliban should be held under the constitution? :woot: And the TTP will agree? Which world is Kayani living in?

Don't worry, he is going to retire on Novembe 29. He is just trying to show off in his last days I think like every politician do before elections.
 
Talks with the Taliban should be held under the constitution? :woot: And the TTP will agree? Which world is Kayani living in?

They don't have any other choice left. If they reject now, then they will be sandwich in between. And all political parties including PML-N and PTI have an understanding about this topic. That TTP has to accept the Pakistani Constitution so, kiyani's these remarks has clear political backing. It's you who are living in some Lala land and can't see the reality. Wake up dear..
 
Many people claimed that talks with TTP are a waste of time and efforts. However, they do not realize that TTP is not one entity, they have over two dozen semi-independent groups among. Some of them are showing more positive attitude towards the peace talks and are cooperating while others carry on. Those groups who are negotiating with the government have come under fire from other groups, resulting in senior leaders killed in skirmishes.

The plan is to divide the TTP and hence create a multi-directional war for them, three external sides being pounded by Army and aswell internal fights by surrendering groups. This is going to be a decisive war to get rid of this decade-old foreign disease for once.
 
This is the official surrender of the COAS

If we can settle it talks with them then its okay. You can call it surrender. Talk with taliban will benefit us.

1. We will have peace in region at last.

2. We will know who is the real enemy of Pakistan.
 
There is a lot of confusion among Pakistani public deliberately created by the anti-Pakistan forces and their sympathizers. To justify my stance against that Taliban and all other anti-sate forces; I first copy what is written in Pakistan Constitution. Articles of the Constitution can be verified easily.

Quote.

Article: 256 Private armies forbidden

Private armies forbidden.-No private organisation capable of functioning as a military organisation shall be formed, and any such organisation shall be illegal.

Article 5.

5 Loyalty to State and obedience to Constitution and law.

(1) Loyalty to the State is the basic duty of every citizen.

(2) Obedience to the Constitution and law is the [inviolable] obligation of every citizen wherever he may be and of every other person for the time being within Pakistan.

In the light of our constitution, please enlighten me what should done to all those who are members of armed groups such as Lej, BLA, Jaish Mohammed, TTP etc? Aren’t these groups in direct breach of the constitution?
TTP boldly claim that they do not accept Pakistan’s constitution (which is obligatory on all Pakistanis). Does not this make them non-Pakistanis? How can they be our people?
Allah has really punished us for choosing spineless leaders who are willing to appease groups with private armies. Here is an article describing what leaders such as Nawaz Sharif & Imran Khan are preaching.


Soft on the enemy

ZAHID HUSSAIN

Published
2013-10-22 07:24:11

WHITHER the much-talked-about talks with the Pakistani Taliban? There is no sign yet of them taking off. But even if the talks happen it would be more like talks between the victor and the vanquished.

While the national leadership pleads for mercy, the militants dictate the modalities of the surrender to the state. With no will to fight, the Sharif administration has already conceded too much ground to the Taliban with extremely dangerous consequences for national security, and it may not be easy to retrieve the situation. The latest escalation in violence, including the killing of a senior Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister, makes the intention of the militants even clearer — talks but only on their terms.

It was frightening to watch Hakeemullah Mehsud on BBC recently, arrogantly justifying the killing of those who do not subscribe to the Taliban’s retrogressive worldview. “We have targeted those who are with the infidels, America, and we will continue to target them,” the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief declared. For him, whoever is not with them is an infidel and deserves to be killed.

His triumphant tenor and newfound confidence was shocking. Just a few months ago, the TTP chief was afraid for his own safety. The group was dealt a serious blow after the death of Waliur Rehman, the deputy commander of the TTP, in a drone strike. Surely, the inaction of the government has given a new lifeline to his supporters.

In a more recent interview, the TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said that they would never engage in talks under the Pakistani Constitution since it enshrines democracy, which according to him is a secular and un-Islamic system. He also wants the Sharia’s enforcement in the country. Are these preconditions acceptable to the state? They will be tantamount to legitimising a Taliban dictatorship.

Emboldened by the government’s dithering and the defeatist approach of political leaders such as Imran Khan, the TTP is now threatening to eliminate journalists and intellectuals who are challenging its tyranny. What is most appalling is the complete silence of the political leaders over these death threats. But it must not surprise us since these leaders did the same when the militants targeted the activists of the Awami National Party during the May 11 elections, virtually pushing it out of the poll race.

In fact, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to some extent owes its electoral success in KP to the compromise it had made with the Taliban. It is also fear that drives the PTI’s current pro-TTP policy. But what Imran Khan and his supporters do not understand is that appeasement may not protect them for long.

The message was clear when the militants murdered provincial law minister Israrullah Gandapur in a suicide attack on Eid day. He was the third provincial assembly member to be killed by the militants in the past few months.

It is now several weeks since the all-party conference mandated the government to initiate the so-called peace talks with the militants. But there is still no clear strategy for negotiations. There is huge ambiguity over whom the administration intends to talk to. The TTP is a loose group of more than 30 factions and each one has its own views on the negotiations. Moreover they are not bound by the decisions taken by Hakeemullah Mehsud.

Most TTP groups have publicly rejected the government’s peace offer. It is not surprising that different factions accepted responsibility for the recent terrorist attacks in KP. For instance, the Peshawar church attack was carried out by the TTP’s Mohmand branch which is totally opposed to any peace talks with the Pakistani state.

Imran Khan has come out with a bizarre demand of allowing the outlawed militant network to open its office in Pakistan to clear the way for dialogue. The sheer ridiculousness of the suggestion aside, it is not clear whether the PTI chief wants offices for all the TTP factions.

Then, there are also numerous splinter factions of outlawed Pakistani militant groups operating from North Waziristan. Known as the Punjabi Taliban, they may be cooperating with the TTP in carrying out terrorist attacks, but they have their own specific agendas too.

One of the most powerful Punjabi Taliban leaders, Asmatullah Muawiya, is, perhaps, the only one who has publicly supported the government’s peace offer. This positive response apparently came only after the prime minister suspended the execution of two members of the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi convicted on several murder charges. Muawiya had threatened to target the members of the Sharif family and to unleash terrorist attacks in Punjab. There cannot be long-term peace with the government buckling under terrorist threats.

I recently watched a speech of Muawiya on video, on the killing of Osama bin Laden. In a most vitriolic diatribe against the Pakistani security forces, the militant leader vowed to carry out the mission of the late Al Qaeda chief. Does the Sharif government understand the ramifications of dealing with Al Qaeda affiliates and those responsible for sectarian killings?

Not only would peace deals with such groups clear the way for the Talibanisation of Pakistan, they would also be dangerous for regional security. More importantly, the move would reinforce the suspicion of the international community about Pakistan’s unwillingness to fight against violent extremism.

Indeed, there is very little hope of achieving peace through dialogue with the militants. But more worrisome is whether the administration has an alternative plan to deal with the worsening security situation. The choice is not between dialogue and a military operation. The state must use all options to enforce the rule of law.

No state can allow its writ to be challenged by armed groups, or a parallel system to operate. What is needed are measures to strengthen the civilian law-enforcement and intelligence networks to deal with the menace of militant violence. The government has to act more firmly if it wants to eliminate terrorism in Pakistan. The threat cannot wither away by romancing the enemy.

The writer is an author and journalist.

Soft on the enemy - DAWN.COM
 
I have never been an admirer of the General, but his speech compels respect. It is sterling good sense, and makes impeccable political grounding for the way forward. If Nawaz Sharif, and, more than he, Imran Khan do not come to their senses, there is very, very serious trouble ahead.
 
Why can't the Chief of the Army Staff keep his gob shut and stick to the job he gets paid for so handsomely?

After 376 drone attacks on Pakistan by USAF/CIA, 366 of which have occurred under his chieftain, he still lectures Pakistan as if he's some sort of a national hero or something.

I hope Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gets rid of him soon.
 
^^ Bro link provided by you is not working. Could you please check and share it again ?

I am not able to tag him and cannot reply to him on his post as it need 30 posts :( Can someone ask him to correct it ?
 

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