Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has said that the terrorists have no place to hide and they will be hit wherever they are found.
The army chief made this statement during a visit to North Waziristan Agency (NWA) to review the progress in operation Zarb-e-Azb. He was accompanied by Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt.
Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Salim Bajwa in his tweets said both the services chiefs were briefed on the operation’s progress, and future plans to clear the area of all terrorists.
They also met troops fighting what has been dubbed a decisive battle against terrorism.
The chief military spokesperson said the army chief and air chief acknowledged that a new level of “jointness” between the army and air force had been achieved in the ongoing operation.
Bajwa said the efficacy of the use of air power with ground operation was also appreciated.
Both commanders reaffirmed their commitment to eliminate terrorism. The operation would continue till the job is finished, they added.
The resolve of the army Chief to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan is commendable. In fact, the army, with the very valuable help from the air force, has already cleared many terrorist-infested spots in the tribal areas. But he should note that extremism and terrorism can not be eliminated simply by raining down bombs and bullets on terrorists by the armed forces as well as by use of unwarranted, excessive force against Nine Zero by Sindh Rangers which, at senior levels, is manned by active service armed forces personnel. Was it really necessary to blindfold, handcuff and chain MQM leader Amir Khan an while taking him to court, even before he is actually convicted by the court. Also, if the raid against Nine-Zero was intelligence-based, why a large number of MQM workers were held, most of whom had to be released soon after? And why the house of Altaf Hussain's elderly sister was raided?
A senior Ranger official claimed that arms confiscated from Nine Zero included those stolen from NATO containers in transit to Afghanistan. Now, this is strange in view of the fact that the ISAF deny sending arms and ammunition by land route through Pakistan. Also, MQM faces open threats from Taliban because of opposing them and demanding operation against them. This is in contrast to the stand of PML-N, PTI and religious parties which were adamant on solving the problem through negotiations, believing that will solve the problem.. And in the circumstances where the state has been unable to provide security to its citizens, and MQM has already lost quite a few members including an MPA, why did the Rangers take away the licensed-arms without even bothering to enquire whether these were licensed? And why did the Rangers just walk away without investigating the death of an innocent MQM workers who was shot dead while they were there?
Coming back to intolerance, extremism and terrorism, while it is crucial to deal with existing terrorists, it is equally or rather more important to eliminate the sources which create them. This obviously has to be done by the civilian government but no significant action is being taken in this regard. Now PML-N government, which resisted operation against militants as much as possible is hardly likely to take meaningful action in this respect for fear of angering the militant groups and inviting their wrath. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be much or rather any pressure on the PML-government even from the armed forces, which is very unfortunate indeed.
Karachi
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