ISLAMABAD:
Top military commanders have thrown their weight behind the steps taken by the civilian government to restore peace in Karachi, which has been in the grip of violence for months.
The decision was taken at a meeting of corps commanders chaired by Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Thursday to review the security situation and the ongoing bloodshed in the metropolis.
The development came after the government apparently accepted the military’s demand to allow Rangers to conduct non-discriminatory operation against individuals and groups responsible for unrest in Karachi. The military is concerned about the role of the city police, which has become increasingly politicised and lacked the necessary credibility to end the violence.
However, breaking the tradition, the top brass opted not to issue any public statement about their discussions on the Karachi unrest.
The decision not to issue a statement is believed to be taken in view of avoiding possible criticism against the army for being overtly vocal on the Karachi situation.
Al Qaeda arrest
Sources said the military commanders also discussed the recent arrest of key al Qaeda operatives from Quetta.
Director General Inter-Services Intelligence Lt General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, who also attended the meeting, briefed the corps commanders about the significance of the arrest and its likely impact on Pak-US relations.
Pasha briefed the meeting about efforts by Islamabad and Washington to normalise ties that had been severely strained by the killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad on May 2.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 9th, 2011.
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