Amid rising tensions with the United States, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani convened a special meeting of corps commanders on Sunday, the second one this month, clearly reflecting the escalating tensions between Islamabad and Washington.
Pakistan’s top military brass voiced deep concern over the US allegations that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was “exporting” terrorism to Afghanistan through the Haqqani network, and warned Washington against any unilateral military action in North Waziristan as it would be met by a “befitting response”.
The six-hour meeting was focused on how to deal with any situation arising out of possible breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty by US troops following the “harsh statements” by Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other American officials who publicly accused the ISI of exporting terrorism to Afghanistan through the powerful militant outfit, the Haqqani network.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), which told the media about the unusual corps commanders’ meeting on Sunday morning, did not release any statement at the end of the deliberations to elaborate on the nature of discussion. However, a security official privy to the meeting said on condition of anonymity that the military commanders rejected the US accusations as unfounded and baseless.
“The army commanders also vowed that any outside ‘misadventure’ within Pakistani borders would be matched with a ‘befitting response’ and hence the US must refrain from any such act,” he said. “The Pakistan Army’s leadership doesn’t want to pick a fight with the US-led NATO forces but it will not allow anyone to breach the country’s sovereignty,” the official said. He said the military commanders also raised their concerns about recent border incursions into Pakistan by Afghanistan-based Taliban militants.
“The army leadership expressed concern about the inability of NATO troops and Afghan army to stop the cross-border attacks from Afghanistan in Chitral and Dir,” he said. “The army commanders also expressed their desire for all political forces to stand united and come up with full backing to the armed forces in the face of serious threats to the country’s sovereignty,” he added.
He said the issue of a North Waziristan operation demanded by the US was also discussed during the corps commanders’ meeting and the military top brass decided that an operation in the tribal area would not be carried out owing to serious constraints that the army was facing because of being engaged in operations against terrorists in various areas of the country.
The official said that the army chief would soon call on the president and prime minister and apprise them of what transpired during the meeting. Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Khalid Shameem Wynne earlier met US Central Command chief General James Mattis. “Both leaders discussed various matters of mutual interests and the emerging geo–strategic situation in the region,” said an ISPR statement issued after the meeting between General Mattis and General Wynne.
NEGATIVE STATEMENTS: “CJCSC expressed his concern about the negative statements emanating from the US. He stressed upon addressing the irritants in the relationship which are a result of an extremely complex situation. He reiterated that Pakistani armed forces were committed to achieving enduring peace in the region, which would only be possible through mutual trust and cooperation,” it said. General Wynne, who was scheduled to travel to Canada, also postponed his visit in light of the tension with the US.
In a separate statement, the US embassy said that in his meetings with General Kayani and General Wynne, General Mattis emphasised the vital role the Pakistan military played in international security efforts to protect the Pakistani and Afghan people and the need for persistent engagement among the militaries of the US, Pakistan and other states in the region. A diplomatic source in Islamabad, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the statement issued by the US embassy was part of efforts to defuse the mounting tensions between Islamabad and Washington.
“The Western diplomatic circles in Islamabad feel that the US is trying to exert pressure on Pakistan as much as possible for a North Waziristan operation, but it also is for retaining its relationship with Pakistan owing to extreme importance of Islamabad vis-à-vis the ongoing war on terror. The US authorities are fully aware that their interests in Afghan would receive a severe blow if Pakistan is alienated completely and it walks out of the US-led global counterterrorism alliance,” he said.
We must and should look right, left, up and down before showing our fractured muscles due to our own homegrown terrorist organizations. Creating hype will only aggravate our own fragile position. I would rather ask all who matter most should come up with clear position before pushing the whole nation into wilderness.
Shouldn't the US look left, right, up and down and more so in the history… Sorry but who provided the seed to establish these organizations? Who gave the weapons? Do you remember the Stinger missiles? I am sorry, but enough is enough. Every president in the past at-least 50 years has started a war or more.. That has converted them to "war-hogs" and that's what they are. There is a saying farsi "Tung aamud bajung aamad". Fragile is nothing but a mindset an excuse of being week. We as a nation will stand together and will go down fighting, if it comes to that. There is nothing above self respect and freedom, and history has proven it.
Self respect?????? Freedom????? History????? has only proven that we are most corrupt, Hippocratic, nurturers of others seeds and as such are not prepared to learn any lessons from what ever history we have. Can you point out which war did we ever won. We rather returned back saying sorry sorry sorry. We need economic growth not terrorist organizations growth. Do you people realize that we are already on the list of failed state???? All nations on the globe love their countries but hate the qualities I have mentioned above.
The meeting of top leadership of our army commanders on a holiday clearly shows the rising tension between Pakistan and America. Present situation is not an overnight development but its foundation was laid ten years back Now America is planning to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan, without achieving the desired victory , they want to achieve something extra to show to their people, whose tax money has been burnt in billions during this war.
Present crisis may come as blessing in disguise for the people of Pakistan. We may realize that American aid is an injection of poison for us and American turn their faces away after achieving the targets. The use of our sources, air bases, roads, railway and soldiers in this war has not given us any national gain but the losses we suffered are enormous and unrepairable.
Our refusal to carry out operation in Pakistan tribal area against our interests has brought these relations to this point and statements by senior officials of Obama administration, both civil and military , forced us to take certain precautionary steps in our national interest.
After the Abbotabad episode and release of Raymond Davis in mysterious way, our national morale had gone down to the lowest level and this reaction of army high command has given new hope and confidence to the whole nation, which has been looking for good news.
useless talk, we want socialism and good relations wth all including india and afghanistan.but let us solve kashmir issu everything is done i guarante.
Why is the top brass of Pakistani Military playing with the sentiments of people of Pakistan who have been indoctrinated so much that Pakistan Armed Forces are invincible despite the spectacular debacles in the past the most recent was OBL humiliation,
It is the weakness of the civilian administration that the generals are ruling the roost. But then the politicians have no guts to stand against generals and make them realise that they should obey the command of the civilian government.
There is no dearth of adventurous generals in the military who are itching to ditch the civilian government and take the helm of affairs on the pretext of aggression by the external forces. This will be a serious miscalculation on the part of top Army brass and will throw the country into a serious crisis and will bring untold misery to the country. The general should learn from the mistakes of past and stop sounding out as if they are the angel-saviours of the country. Their track record is not that brilliant.
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