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Rhetoric: DPC against N Waziristan operation
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No joint operation in North Waziristan: Security officials
US defence secretary, however, claims Pakistan army chief had confirmed to John Allen that fighting will start soon.
US defence secretary, however, claims Pakistan army chief had confirmed to John Allen that fighting will start soon. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
LAHORE: Speculations about possible Pakistan-US joint operation against the Haqqani Network in North Waziristan are absolutely baseless and absurd, said senior security officials requesting anonymity on Tuesday.
One of the officials vehemently rejected the possibility of any ISI-CIA led joint operation code-named as ‘Tight Screw’ against Haqqanis.
Sharing details regarding the recent visit of Lieutenant General Zaheerul Islam, the new head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency – to Washington, the officer said that Pakistan does not support Haqqani Network and their activities inside Afghanistan and denied using them as surrogate against US-led Nato forces in Afghanistan.
The sources further added that such media speculations are creating misperceptions and that there is no truth in these fabricated stories.
However according to a report by The Telegraph, US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta said that Pakistan military is planning to start an operation against militants in North Waziristan.
The report stated that army chief General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani had confirmed to General John Allen, commander Isaf (International Security Assistance Force) in Afghanistan during a meeting that the fighting was about to start.
“Gen Kayani did indicate that they had developed plans to go into Waziristan. Our understanding is that hopefully they’re going to take that step in the near future. I can’t tell you when. But the indication that we have is that they are prepared to conduct that operation soon,” Panetta said.
Calling it a welcome change in Pakistan’s stance, Panetta said Pakistan has “talked about it for a long time. Frankly, I’d lost hope that they were going do anything about it. But it does appear that they in fact are going to take that step.”
Reader Comments (22)
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It s a good step. If the only way to avoid violence on this side of the border is to have violence on that side of the border then let it be
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Pakistan army will likely be continuing targeted operations against Pakistan Taliban in North Waziristan, so the security official is right that this has nothing to do with Haqqani Network.
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There is absolutely no need for such an operation. Americans will leave in a year’s time and we will be the only ones dealing with this mess. Pakistan should, at their best, prevent them from carrying out attacks from their territory.
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Just like talibans game, as long as Afghanis were getting killed Pakistanis were happy, now when talibans want to control Pakistan, Pakstanis are crying.
If terrorists from Pakistan go and terrorize people in another country, it is Pakistans responsibility to control them.
Soonrer or later other countries will start using non-State actors in Pakistan.
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makes senseRecommend
If it was not a joint operation against Haqqanis and TTP – what did DG ISI discuss in US? On what basis did he expect drones to stop if Pakistan did not intend to take on the Haqqanis themselves? After all, surely Pakistan is not telling the US ” We will not go after Haqqanis through ground operations, you should not go after HAqqanis through drones but Haqqanis can go after NATO/ISAF”.
It is also disingenuous to claim that Pakistan is not supporting HAqqanis in Afghanistan. No-one including Americans have suggested that. What they have said is that Pakistanprovides safe havens to Haqqanis in North Waziristan.Recommend
Why don’t Pakistan reporters learn to ask a simple question — just provide the quote from Panetta and ask whether it’s accurate. Not much wiggle room in that approach. I can’t imagine why Panetta would lie on this subject — can’t say the same for Pakistan military or political leaders.
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Nato gunships just killed two Pakistanis.. now that’s a stepRecommend
Big mouth Panetta is at work again…
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Haqqanis are not our allies. even Mulvi Gulbahadr is not our ally. Paksitan has just signed truce with them. if they really cared for Pakistan, they would engaged anti Pakistan taliban (TTPand their surrogates) long ago in their area of responsibility. now all the terrorism is being planned from NWA. its time to wipe out the TTP and its affiliates followed by other militant organizations in the area. as Gen Kayani said “There cannot be two parallel systems in a country”. the one branding weapons with their own way of governance needs to be eradicated.
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Cautious: Please show me those Iraqi WMDs on basis of destroying which thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens were killed. Offcourse American military or political leaders wouldn’t lie about that. HuhRecommend
The Americans must be banging their heads against the wall after issue of yet another denial by Pakistan but it would be interesting to see the response from Panetta whose statement has been clearly refuted.
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I would say emphatically no to start another front in North Waziristan , there is no winning in NW just like no winning for Americans in Afghanistan. Why can’t the military establishment understand that it will create more problems for Pakistanis and more blood shed and more hatred in FATA , we did not have these problems at such a high level before the NATO’s occupation of Afghanistan. I would suggest to General Kiyani to read the history and learn something from it. US forces will be gone but Pakistanis will be paying a very heavy price for a long long time to come. Read and study Ambassador Hilaly’s latest article and ask why one of the US congressman is so concerned about Baluchistan and not about the plight of Kashmiris , Chichnians native Americans and African American . Is there any Pakistani left in the country who could think far ahead of time for a change.
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lets see wt happens i hope this time the terrorists dont run away and pak army dont play Hide and seek game this time too
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No joint open ration. That is for sure. In fact, no operation at all per usual. Pakistan gives lip service to the effort but never acts.
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Pakistan will be the ultimate loser in the war on terror.we must say NO to americans as they will leave this space in 2024AD.but we have to live with the haqqanis .they are the proud aboriginals people of the tribal belt.
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Pakistan should keep its proxies safe , if there are any. I hope if this news is true, Pakistan will move the people that matter, before any strikes in Waziristan.
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If it was in interest of Pakistan, we must had done it already without US pushes.
Personally I think it should never happen, doing so will give Taliban and external agencies a way to attack our people and important resources. God help us with our difficult times.
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@Vikram:
You Indians need to stay out of it. I don’t get what you business in afghanistan isaf and Pakistan relations? You don’t have geographical border or other interests in Pakistans west.
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From reading the above comments one can easily come to the conclusion that even the Pakistani public do not mind the killings on the other side of
Durand line,as long as they are safe on the Pakistani of the Durand line.
Wow and then you are talking about UMMAH,condemning BURMA killings and asking human
rights for Palestinians and Kashmiris.
simply opportunistic crowd of people not nation.Recommend
Sarah: They would never. Its in their nature. I feel pity for those who believe in that ‘Aman Ka Tamasaha”.
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@Pakistani Pakhtoon:
If the statement issued is followed in letter and spirit, your apprehensions may proved to be true.The sad part is that Pakistan is falling apart due to religious extremism and terrorists organisations are taking full advantage by holding the whole country to ransom. Pakistani people and major establishments need to realize that no militant organisation or group is a friend of the state, the earlier they stop support, unwind themselves from them and only then Pakistan would begin to prosper.
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