North Waziristan operation not on the cards, says Malik

Interior minister backpedals on earlier statement of launching an offensive in the tribal area.


Zahid Gishkori October 16, 2012

ISLAMABAD:


To be or not to be: that is the question surrounding the fate of a North Waziristan Agency operation.


Days after the army tossed the ball into the political leadership’s court on whether such an operation was planned, the civilian government attempted to clear the air, saying that no preparations were under way in the agency, a semi-autonomous tribal area known to harbour heavily armed Taliban and al Qaeda militants.

Backtracking from his earlier statements, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that the military and government leadership had no plans of launching an offensive in the agency, but the minister said the matter was still open for discussion.

“We will decide if there is a need for an operation there [North Waziristan].”

Earlier, in the wake of the attack on iconic child peace activist Malala Yousafzai, Malik had said the government was considering a military operation in North Waziristan.

Famed for his backpedalling on key issues, Malik dispelled any predisposition for such an operation, saying it was wrong to suggest that a military operation for North Waziristan was being planned.

“No preparations are under way for a military operation in the North Waziristan,” Malik told reporters.

The move comes a day after political parties, such as the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), made their voice heard on the divisive debate.

MQM chief Altaf Hussain threw his weight behind the military and called upon it (military) to go head with the offensive.  On the other hand, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman categorically rejected the government’s plan, if any, to launch a military crackdown against militants in the tribal region.

Plot to kill Malala

The interior minister also briefed the media about the attack on 14-year-old Malala, saying the plot to kill her was hatched in the Pak-Afghan border region.

Malik said the names of the attackers were not being revealed for several reasons, including the fact that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had threatened to attack Malala again.

“We have the names of the suspect…but we want to know who ‘actually’ orchestrated the attack,” Malik said, adding that the Taliban had divided ranks among themselves, making it difficult to pinpoint which faction was actually responsible for the attack.

He added that certain media houses had also been threatened by the militants over their coverage of the attack on Malala.

Improving condition

Furthermore, the minister said, the details of shifting Malala to the United Kingdom had not been made public due to security concerns, adding that her condition had improved and the swelling on her brain’s membrane had decreased.

Malik said Pakistani doctors were also accompanying Malala, adding that she was now also able to breathe without a ventilator.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2012.

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