Fresh operation?: Top military huddle kicks off

Two-day meeting of commanders opens amid speculations of N Waziristan offensive.


Our Correspondent October 17, 2012
Fresh operation?: Top military huddle kicks off

ISLAMABAD: A two-day meeting of top military commanders began here on Tuesday amid conflicting reports about a fresh offensive in North Waziristan Agency following last week’s attack on young peace activist Malala Yousafzai.

The army’s media wing said the formation commanders’ conference, headed by army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, will discuss professional matters. “It is a routine conference,” said one official in a bid to dispel the impression that the gathering was meant to discuss the likely operation in North Waziristan.

The attack on Malala, who was shot in the head in Swat last week, galvanised public opinion against the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and triggered speculations of a possible military offensive in NWA.

“It is premature to say anything at this stage,” added the official referring to the speculations.

He insisted that the formation commanders meeting had nothing to do with the ongoing national debate on the issue. “Such decisions have to be taken at the political level,” the official added.

However, Brigadier (retd) Mehmood Shah said the formation commanders must have discussed the current security situation, including the North Waziristan operation.

“It may not be a decision making body, but it is an open forum where all such issues are discussed,” added Shah, who is former security secretary of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

He maintained that Pakistan will have to clear troubled areas, including North Waziristan, of militants before 2014. The attack on Malala offered a rare moment where the civil and military leadership could create a necessary consensus for such an operation, he argued.

“I don’t find any reason for reluctance on part of both the civilian government and military to launch an operation in North Waziristan,” Shah maintained.

Earlier this week, Interior Minister Rehman Malik disclosed that the government would seriously consider launching an attack in the region in wake of the attack on Malala.

However, he later retracted his remarks, apparently due to pressure from the military.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17th, 2012.

COMMENTS (31)

dmfm91 | 12 years ago | Reply

i strongly agree with Rehan; Those all above who have the basic problem of thier hatred,and thier low IQ.What do they all think,why the people of FATA,do not have the rights to live free,and to ask for thier basic rights,why you do not understand,the operations and for my dear Raza,why you not asking for Carpet bombiings in karachi,where 100 times more inncoents are being killed????. What about your veiw of baluchistan,My Dear all those suffering today,thier only fault lies in thier faithfulness with pakistan,khan of qillat,Nawab of Dir,s and Wali of swat decscion to mergr with pakistan??? Have you ever read the hsitory,the small pakistan given to you by the british,just common,dnt be kiddish,i suggest all of you to go through the pages of history about pakistan and all those areas which are burning today,...in the war and bombs of the so called war on terror,to know,When,why and how they joined pakistan. Have you ever asked why only one Medical college & only one university exist in the whole province of baluchistan,while not even a single does exist for about more then 50,Laks people of FATA,it not from now since the birth of pakistan in 65 yrs no body have taken a practical step for the root cause,why?? Why still the People of FATA,have to live under the british time indroduced FCR.rule,??

Rex Minor | 12 years ago | Reply

@Raza Khan:

This is whar the colonialist sir Auchenake said about the waziris, something llke a steel roller moving from north to south, adding that he would not like to be the one for the task. You reckon that this pimplenick Kyani is capable of doing it?. The Waziris are capable of rolling over the entire territory of pakistan and beyond within 24 hours. They have the experience of 1947.

Rex Minor.

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