Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday demanded that the government inform the nation if it intended to start a military operation in North Waziristan Agency (NWA).
Following a terrorist attack two days back in Miranshah on a military convoy which claimed lives of at least five security personnel and injured many others, the forces had imposed a curfew in the area and launched a search operation killing around 40 terrorists. Civilians in Miranshah had claimed that some civilians, including two women, were also killed in the offensive. The PTI chairman, in a statement, condemned the attack on security forces. However, he said, “If the military had intended to respond with an attack it should have cleared the area of women and children at least before they bombed Mir Ali through helicopter gunships and artillery. Already civilians, especially women and children, have been innocent victims of drone attacks and now military action is causing more suffering on these innocent victims of a war they are not responsible for.”
“We cannot regard our women and children of FATA with the callousness and unconcern that is presently being displayed towards them by the state of which they are citizens.”
Imran Khan said that since FATA was directly under the president, it is unfathomable why he remained silent on the plight of the tribal people in the wake of curfews and military offensive. Imran demanded that the president act to alleviate the suffering of the women and children, especially by providing immediate food supplies and medical assistance as well as protection against military action.
He also pointed out that an increase in military offensives would lead to a large scale military operation with revenge attacks and ensuing increase in chaos, militancy and terrorism. He said that already common people and lawmakers from FATA were claiming that those killed in the military operations were civilians.
“In addition, hundreds of people are being displaced as well as suffering food shortages because of the imposed curfew.”
It is also now a recognised fact that in FATA those who lose family members to drone attacks and military action turn to militancy, he maintained.
The PTI chairman asserted that the government must not only take control and bear responsibility for any planned military operation in NWA, it must also inform all the political parties that it has abandoned the APC mandate for dialogue and an end to drones.
“Military operations in one’s own country do not resolve problems; instead they exacerbate them and the same will happen if a military operation is launched in NWA. Already there are reports of people fleeing the area and civilians being killed. With no civilian control or responsibility the country will be further destabilised, divided and weakened which is what our detractors are seeking. Our history should teach us the human and political costs to the nation of military operations,” he concluded.
