Army chief says military fully capable to counter threats

February 21 - 2014

ISLAMABAD: Brushing aside the impression about capability of Pakistan’s armed forces in countering terrorism and militancy, Army Chief General Raheel Sharif Friday said the military was fully capable to protect integrity and sovereignty of the country.

“Let there be no doubt that Pakistan’s armed forces are battle hardened and fully capable to counter any internal or external threat posed to the integrity and sovereignty of our beloved country,” he said while interacting with the troops at FC headquarters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

 Earlier this month, the upper house of Parliament witnessed a heated debate on a recent TV interview of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan in which he had allegedly questioned the capability of the armed forces to take on the militants.

 The cricketer-turned-politician in an interview had stated that during a meeting the prime minister had quoted former army chief Gen (retd) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani as saying that there was a 40 per cent chance of success of a military operation against militants in the country’s tribal areas.

 The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) appreciated the spirit and high morale of the troops and said that the entire nation acknowledged sacrifices rendered by security forces in the war on terror as part of national effort to eliminate the scourge of terrorism from Pakistan.

Gen Sahrif assured them that these sacrifices will not go in vain. Recounting successes of the security forces in various operations against terrorists, he lauded the efforts and determination of all troops and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) who cleared the militancy-hit areas, with the help of local population and support of the entire nation.

 “We are fully prepared to confront any challenge in future as well,” the COAS reaffirmed. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan yesterday said that carrying on with peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban amid terrorist attacks throughout the country would be injustice to the victims of such attacks.

Speaking at a press conference, he said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the military leadership do not intend to carry on with dialogue amid terrorist attacks. Earlier on his arrival in Peshawar, the army chief was received by Corps Commander Peshawar Lieutenant General Khalid Rabbani and Inspector General Frontier Corps KP Major General Ghayur Mahmood.

General Raheel Sharif was also briefed by the IG FC regarding ongoing operations in various parts of FATA and the province.

Media and News Network

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Pakistani jets bombed militants

February 20 - 2014

Pakistani jets bombed militants’ hideouts in a northwestern tribal district early Thursday, killing at least 35 militants a day after the insurgents offered a ceasefire to resume troubled peace talks if the army stopped targeting them.

According to the sources, the aircraft bombarded suspected militant hideouts in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan as part of surgical strikes which they said should not be taken as military operation. "There are confirmed reports of 35 militants including foreigners killed in these air strikes," a senior security official told, adding that the attacks focused on the town of Mir Ali and surrounding areas of North Waziristan. Sources told that the first strike killed commander Abdul Sattar when his compound was pounded by the jets followed by the series of strikes on Uzbek, Turkmen, Tajik and Taliban hideouts. The compounds of TTP commander Jihadyar and Abdul Razzak were also destroyed when PAF jets bombarded and killed 15 militants. "Airstrikes were carried out to target militant hideouts with precision. A huge cache of arms and ammunition have also been destroyed," the official said. The sources told that the strikes were carried out after the military leaders took the civilian government into confidence citing potential threats to the people of Pakistan from terrorists holed up in their safe havens in the country’s tribal belt. Moreover, the attacks were aimed at protecting people of Pakistan as the militants were making plans to carry out terrorist attacks. They added that if the government decided to launch an operation, the PAF warplanes will attack the militants in the first phase and other steps would be taken shortly after the weather conditions improve in the mountainous region. The sources told Geo News that the recent attacks were carried out on the basis of credible intelligence information and there was no fear of collateral damage. On Wednesday, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Taliban (TTP) peace mediators said they were ready to observe a ceasefire to allow the resumption of peace talks, provided Pakistani security forces stopped killing and arresting them. Peace talks between the Taliban and the government, announced on January 29, stalled this week due to a recent surge in insurgent attacks and a claim by a Taliban faction on Sunday that it had killed 23 kidnapped soldiers.
Urdu Version

Terrorists Are Not Muslims


All We Want Is Peace - Please

               

Major Jehanzeb embraces martyrdom in militant attack: ISPR

PESHAWAR: Major Jehanzeb has embraced martyrdom in a terrorist attack near Peshawar on Tuesday, army’s Inter-Services Public Relation (ISPR) department said. According to the ISPR, three attackers have been killed in retaliatory fire by troops. An exchange of fire is still under way between forces and terrorists near Peshawar

Terrorists Are Not Muslims


All We Want Is Peace - Please