ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Wednesday said that security forces have successfully completed military operations in Swat and Buner, clearing out militants and making the area safe for return of the displaced local population.
Speaking at a press conference with military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas here, he said the possibility of isolated incidents of terrorism in the areas cannot be ruled out, as such individual acts can take place even in the settled areas despite all security arrangements.
He said the final schedule for the return of internally displaced persons would be announced in couple of days. He said the repatriation will take place in phases. He said 280,237 IDP families had got themselves registered and over 100,000 have been issued visa cards to withdraw a one time cash grant of Rs 25,000. He said an amount of around 1.5 billion has so far been withdrawn by the affected people through the cards.
Kaira said the returnees will be provided transport facility and one month ration and will be entitled to food support till December.
The Military spokesman however came out with a slightly different version saying that the operation Rah-e-Raast had entered into a final phase, creating conditions for safe return of the dislocated population of Malakand Division including Swat.
He said a high level meeting held at General Headquarters with Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani reviewed the process of return of IDPs to their homes. The meeting was attended by senior military officials involved in the Malakand Operations.
The meeting was told that the area had been cleared of the terrorists and some limited pockets of resistance were in the process of being eliminated. Major population centers and main roads leading to Swat valley and most other areas of the division stand cleared, while top leadership of Malakand based terrorists is being pursued relentlessly, terrorists command and control, logistics and training infrastructure has been destroyed and substantial middle and low level leadership has been killed or apprehended.
General Athar Abbas said the provincial government, with active support of Army’s special support group has ensured restoration of maximum essential services like electricity, gas, water, roads, fuel stations and banking system. Civil administrative set up and local police services are now adequately functional.
He said the Army will stay in Swat adding that the size and location will depend upon operational requirements for conducting search and destroy operations where required. He said the hideouts of the terrorists will remain target of the security forces. These will be intelligence led operations, which will fully involve the local community in identifying hiding terrorists in their respective areas.
He said the provincial government has made a comprehensive plan for return of the dislocated population. Army Special Support Group, humanitarian organizations and Non Governmental Organizations are fully involved in preparation of this plan and will be pro active partners in its execution. The security of the displaced during their return, and during reconstruction and rehabilitation will remain a high priority for the Army as well as the civilian administration.
He said 158 Army personnel laid down their lives and 548 individuals were injured during these operations. He said some 1,600 terrorists were killed and another 700 apprehended during the operation.
Answering a question, the Information Minister said the terrorists apprehended during the operation were currently in the custody of intelligence agencies. He said they will be handed over to the civil law enforcement agencies and produced before the court of law. ‘We will not resort to any ultra constitutional step,’ he assured.
Drone attacks:
Responding to another questions, he said the government’s policy on drone attacks was very clear. He said these counter-productive attacks were a clear violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty. ‘We reserve the right to retaliate and will do it when we deem it appropriate,’ he remarked.
He said the US does not have the right to target criminals inside Pakistan and should share credible intelligence with Pakistan.
Kaira said the doors of dialogue were open for those who lay down the arms and accept the writ of the state.
General Athhar Abbas told a questioner that most of the terrorists’ leadership was in the valley and only a few of them had moved out. He assured the media that there was no possibility of a return of the leadership to regroup and operate in the valley. He said the local leadership had been eliminated and the terrorists had lost the organized ability to face the security forces now.
He confirmed that Maulana Fazlullah was seriously injured and Abu Jandal was dead. He said Shah Daraun was also reportedly killed.
He said the success of the operation was evident from the fact that certain no-go areas including the Peochar, Sakhara and Bhia valleys had been secured.
He said the operation in South Waziristan was against a specific group. He said the unprovoked incident in North Waziristan was highly regrettable, but said there was no plan on the cards to extend the focussed operation to North Waziristan.
Answering a question, he said the number of civilians casualties during the operation will be assessed while working with the civil administration, which was now in place.
He said he regretted civilian casualties but said the civilian killings were minimal as there were clear instructions of the Army Chief to avoid collateral damage even if the operation was compromised. He said this was one of the reasons the operation remained slow.
Responding to another question, the military spokesman said the Lashkars raised by locals cannot be a permanent feature and disperse after the mission was over. He said the lashkars use their own weapons and were provided ammunition by the army.
Kaira said there was however a plan to raise community police, which will be armed by the Government.
No comments:
Post a Comment