Political parties react to military action in Swat

ISLAMABAD: PM Gilani’s late night address to the nation calling for ‘decisive action’ to root out militants in Pakistan’s restive Swat valley has received mixed reactions from mainstream and religious parties across the nation.

The violence in Swat has forced thousands of people to flee from their homes and take refuge in makeshift camps under appalling conditions, prompting concerns over a humanitarian crisis.

DawnNews reported that the PML-N remains guarded in its reaction. Ahsan Iqbal, the party’s spokesman drawing attention to both the threat posed by the militants as well as the damage a heavy-handed military campaign could inflict on locals.

PML-Q leader and former Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub welcomed the Prime Minister announcement but maintained that the action should have been taken much earlier.

Professor Khurshid Ahmed, a senator from the right-wing Jamat-e-Islami told DawnNews that he believed that the use of force is not the solution to the problems plaguing the tribal areas.

He insisted that the recommendations of the Parliamentary committee on national security should be implemented to address the problem of militancy in the country.

Despite reservations by some mainstream political parties on the Prime Minister’s announcement, there is general consensus that the growing Talibanization needs to be tackled effectively. Many believe the government should use this opportunity to take the battle against militancy to its logical conclusion.