Military laments ‘disappointing’ Afghan response

DG ISPR alleges militants sheltering in Kunar, Nuristan carrying out attacks.

PESHAWAR:

The chief military spokesperson has said that while operations in the tribal agencies of North Waziristan and Khyber have been successful, the response and cooperation from Afghanistan during Operation Zarb-e-Azb has been ‘disappointing’.

“Before we launched the operation in North Waziristan, we established contacts with Afghanistan at every level and sought cooperation in the dismantling of militant networks,” Maj Gen Asim Salim Bajwa, the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), told a media briefing on Wednesday.



“Militants, including chief of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Mullah Fazlullah and his accomplices, are sheltering across the border in Kunar and Nuristan provinces, from where they are carrying out terrorist acts,” he said.

The presence of such militants in Afghanistan is “a serious security threat to Pakistan,” he added. “The militants are using Afghan mobile SIMs. The Afghan government has failed to address our demands to dismantle mobile towers installed along the Pak-Afghan border.”

However, despite such setbacks, there has been a “sharp decline in terrorist acts”, the military spokesperson said, adding that security forces have carried out more than 2,500 targeted operations outside of Khyber Agency and North Waziristan in order to target militants across the country.

“More than 1,100 militants have been killed during Operation Zarb-e-Azb, 132.5 tons of explosives recovered and roughly two million tons of ammunition seized,” Maj Gen Bajwa said. Additionally, nearly 44 militants have been killed during Operation Khyber-I, while 100 militants have surrendered. “More than 100 jawans have been martyred during Operation Zarb-e-Azb,” he added.

The military has complete records of all those killed, injured or arrested during Operation Zarb-e-Azb, he said. The dead militants included foreigners as well as commanders and high-profile terrorists and their identities will be made public at an appropriate time, he added.



Referring to the recent attacks on passenger planes landing at Peshawar’s Bacha Khan International Airport, Maj Gen Bajwa said a group of ‘miscreants’ was involved in these attacks and some of them have been arrested.

Internally displaced persons

Tens of thousands of tribesmen were displaced by the North Waziristan operation. “We desire an early return of these internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes but unless we can ensure complete peace and security, this is difficult,” the military spokesperson said.

“It is difficult to specify a timeframe for [the completion of] Operation Zarb-e-Azb at this stage as some parts of North Waziristan have yet to be cleared,” he said, adding that efforts are under way to dispose of explosives, weapons and ammunition seized from militants. “Most roads and routes as well as urban towns and villages have been cleared.”

While the security forces are engaged in clearing North Waziristan, the second phase of the operation entails the disposal of weapons. The final stage will include arrangements for the repatriation of the IDPs. “The repatriation of the IDPs can be gradually started to the regions declared clear by the armed forces,” he added.

Swat

Maj Gen Bajwa dismissed reports of abuse of human rights and women in Swat by army troops, but added that any information regarding these accusations must be shared with the military.

With response to frequent targeted killings in Swat, the military spokesperson said, “Militants are entering Swat from different routes and carrying out such acts.” He said nearly 10,000 vehicles from different regions enter Swat daily. “And militants are sheltering across the border in Afghanistan, adjacent to Dir and Bajaur,” he said. However, he added that the military operation in Swat and Malakand had been successful.

With reference to these operations, he said power was being gradually transferred to the civil administration in Malakand and four tehsils in Swat. “Power will be transferred to the civil administration upon ensuring capacity and capabilities here and the same policy will apply to North Waziristan and other regions,” he added.


Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2014.