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Regrouping of militants is Pakistan’s biggest worry: US general

Gen Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., Commander US Central Command (Centcom), warned at a recent Pentagon briefing that after the US withdrawal the biggest threat would be the regrouping of Al Qaeda and IS militants. The regrouping of terrorists like the militant Islamic State group and Al Qaeda would be a biggest concern for Pakistan, warned a top US general as the Pentagon started pulling out its troops from Afghanistan.

Gen Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., Commander US Central Command (Centcom), warned at a recent Pentagon briefing that after the US withdrawal the biggest threat would be the regrouping of Al Qaeda and IS militants who “will be able to regenerate if pressure is not kept on them”. And “that’s very concerning to all the neighboring states, biggest concern to Pakistan,” he added. As head of Centcom Gen McKenzie is responsible for all US military activities in the Pak-Afghan region.

According to a transcript the Pentagon released this weekend, Gen McKenzie also said that his command and American diplomats were working with nations surrounding Afghanistan on agreements to base troops and aircraft for countering terrorists after the US pullout.

“That would be ultimately a decision made at the national level by the United States if we were to seek basing rights in those countries,” said the general when asked if internal politics in Pakistan and other states could prevent Washington from having military bases in the region. During the early phases of the 18-year war in Afghanistan, the United States flew drone missions out of Shamsi airfield in Balochistan.

Gen McKenzie said he was now figuring out how the US will be able to conduct counter-terrorism activities in the area without being in Afghanistan.

“I’m actually conducting detailed planning, by the direction of the secretary, to look at those options right now. I will report back to him by the end of the month with some alternatives,” he said.

The pullout, he said, did not “mean that the US will be at the mercy of groups like IS, Al Qaida or the Taliban if they want to create problems and threaten our interests”. The Centcom chief also said that militants regrouping was not just a threat to the US or Pakistan. “It’s a concern of all the Central Asian states to the north. It is even of concern to Iran in the West, I believe. Everyone has a vested interest in a stable Afghanistan,” he said. Meanwhile, several major media outlets reported on Sunday that the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan was “now underway with equipment being packed and shipped out”. The reports claimed that the Pentagon had also approved the deployment of hundreds of maritime, air and land forces to the region to ensure security for American and Nato forces as well as contractors as they withdraw, the officials said.

Various media outlets reported that the Pentagon had also started winding down local contracts for services such as trash pickup and maintenance work. “There have been indications that the pullout could be completed well before Sept 11, which marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that triggered the US invasion of Afghanistan,” reported The Military Times newspaper.

The newspaper reported that Germany’s Defence Ministry was also discussing a plan with the Nato-led Resolute Support Mission in Kabul for a possible withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan as early as July 4.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1620448/regrouping-of-militants-is-pakistans-biggest-worry-us-general

Pakistan - PTI government’s attempt to blackmail, intimidate and harass an honourable judge of the SC has failed

The recent judgement on Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s review petition is a welcome development. The PTI government’s attempt to blackmail, intimidate and harass an honorable judge of the Supreme Court has failed. It was an assault on the entire judiciary. There must be accountability for those in the PTI government who were part of this conspiracy. The accountability process must start from the Prime Minister who initiated this reference with malafide intent of attacking the Supreme Court and attempted to send a message of fear to every independent judge in the country. Attacks on judiciary are hallmarks of dictatorships. President Arif Alvi acted as the Prime Minister’s accomplice in this illegal, unconstitutional attack and as result lost any moral right to continue in office he and should resign immediately. It has also been established that Shahzad Akbar and Farogh Nasim acted maliciously and in bad faith to threaten the judiciary and they should be immediately removed from their positions and an independent inquiry initiated against them. The entire episode is a scathing indictment of this government, its bullying tactics, and its disregard for rule of law.

The PPP has always been an unwavering advocate of a strong, independent judiciary and even when historically PPP has been a victim of judicial murder and unfair treatment for three generations. PPP has always stood by constitutional supremacy and has never resorted to intrigues against or attack on the judiciary. Rule of law and not rule of men is the cardinal principle of democracy and the PPP will always be in the frontline to defend judicial independence, constitutional supremacy, and democracy. The PPP demands that this government respects democratic norms and end its campaign of victimization of judiciary, political opposition, media and all critical and dissenting voices.

https://www.ppp.org.pk/pr/24692/