the Rise of FATA - Pakistan Army Successful Law Enforcement Operations

Koh-e-Safaid mountain range with highest peak of Sikaram Sar which forms a natural boundary and water shed with Afghanistan is situated in Kurram agency. It remains covered with snow throughout the year, luring nature lovers and captivating them in its fascinating beauty. Kurram valley starts from Thall in Hangu district towards northwest upto Peiwar Kotal on Pak Afghan border. It can be divided into two parts i.e. the Lower Kurram and the Upper Kurram. The lower Kurram extends from Thall in Hangu district to Sadda.

But due to some sectarian disputes, since last two years, the allured valley was under the influence of feuding quarrels regarding sect, and getting the benefit of this worse situation an infamous organization Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) played its role to further aggravate sectarianism and launched terrorism and felony against the people of Kurram valley in order to accomplish their vicious intrigue to bring chaos and disarray in Pakistan. TTP is a banned organization involved in a number of suicide attacks, killing dozens of innocent people with bastion in South Waziristan agency.

Battered people of kurram agency requested Pak army to take charge of miscreants and an operation “KOH-E-SAFAID” was launched against TTP in July 2011 in order to annihilate the infidel cadre. With the arrival of Pak army in Kurram agency, the obdurate organization got no way out but to hide in mountains and to amalgamate in normal people for deception and ambush. But the evildoers didn’t know the fortified Pak army which took control of the situation in a very small amount of time and diminished the mongers of Satan and ousting the remaining out of the valley. With the conscientious efforts of Pak army, Thal-Parachanar road is also reopened after years which is really appreciated by the public. Now displaced people are back to their homes and army is helping poor people to settle down their once again in amity with each other.

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Pakistan Army Relentless Efforts to Stabilize FATA

PESHAWAR: No army in the world could win war without the support of its countrymen and political ownership of the ongoing military operations in militancy-hit areas of the country was necessary to achieve long-lasting peace, Peshawar Corps Commander Lt-Gen Khalid Rabbani said .

Addressing participants of a seminar on ‘War on terror and role of Pakistan Army’ at University of Peshawar (UoP), the corps commander said from 2008 to 2012, the government’s writ had been re-established in 91 per cent of Fata, while the situation in the remaining areas was under control.

He said around 3,300 Pakistan Army personnel had lost lives in the line of duty in the war against terrorism and more than 10,000 had been severely injured in various operations.

“We and the whole nation feel proud of those, who have laid lives for peace in a war where there is only one option for us and that is to win it,” he said

Lt-Gen Khalid said Pakistan Army had conducted more than 300 major and 760 minor operations in militancy-hit areas over the last few years, mostly in 2009-10. He said peace had been restored in the entire northern region of Pakistan and road accesses to most of Fata had been established.

The corps commander said the army was working on a sustainable development plan for Fata to improve livelihood of locals.

He said the army had been carrying out 52 educational projects in Fata and they included establishment of a cadet college in South Waziristan Agency, Khyber Institute of Technical Education and Waziristan Institute of Technical Education.

Lt-Gen Khalid called for gradual mainstreaming of Fata and said its infrastructure development was imperative for socioeconomic development in the region.

He said the army went to an area for pace at the request of the federal government. He denied that the army consumed eight per cent of the budget and said all three forces i.e. army, navy and air force consumed 17 per cent of the country’s total budget, while the army shared in it was 8.7 per cent.

Chairman of UoP Political Science Department Professor Dr AZ Hilali, whose department organised the seminar, highlighted the importance of the seminar and said it was a sign of solidarity with Pakistan Army, which rendered great sacrifices for peace in the country.

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Prosperity in Pakistan begets Serenity in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday said peace in Afghanistan was critical for the peace and security in Pakistan.

He said Pakistan always supported Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s peace efforts and would continue favour an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process of reconciliation.

In a meeting with delegation of Afghan Senators led by Fazal-e-Hadi Muslimyar at the PM House, the prime minister emphasised upon exchanging parliamentary delegations to strengthen their brotherly relations and between the peoples of the two countries.

He said exchange visits of parliamentarians were essential to enhance bilateral relations and Pakistan had always made consistent and sincere efforts to improve relations with Afghanistan.

He recalled that Pakistan did extend full cooperation to the Afghan team that visited Islamabad with regard to the investigation of assassination of Professor Burhanuddin Rabbani.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan was committed to complete the construction of Torkham-Jalalabad Road.

He mentioned that Pakistan was offering 2,000 fully funded scholarships to the Afghan students and agreed to enhance the number of scholarships on the request of the leader of Afghan delegation.

Earlier, Chairman Senate Farooq H. Naik while addressing the members of the Afghan delegation said Pakistan attached much importance to its relations with Afghanistan because both the countries share common religion, culture, history and geographical proximity.

Leader of Afghan delegation Fazal-e-Hadi Muslimyar highlighted the commonalities between the people of two countries spread over the centuries, adding this had brought them together to strive for the common destiny of peace and prosperity.

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Fake Taliban caught!

LAHORE - CIA Police on Wednesday arrested a man, who pretended to be a representative of the banned militant organisation Tehreek-e-Taliban Punjab and had been demanding Rs 30 million as protection money from a trader of Misri Shah Area. As per details a local businessman of Misri Shah Area namely Rehan filed a complaint with Misri Shah Police claiming that he had received a threat letter from a Tehreek-e-Taliban Punjab on February 19, 2012 in which the writer had demanded him to deposit Rs 30 million in their account. He, while quoting the menacing letter said that the terrorist of Tehreek-e-Taliban Punjab threatened to blow his house if he would have had contacted the police. He claimed that following the letter, he received several calls from different unknown numbers at his cell phone. He said that the caller had asked him to follow the instructions and in case of denial had threatened him for dire consequences. Rehan claimed that some unknown men planted explosive material outside his house on March 10 which had gone off after he had not acted upon the instructions of the callers. He said that following the blast, he had received another call in which terrorists had threatened to blow his house again if he had not acted upon on their instructions. Misri Shah Police on Rehan’s complaint registered a case number 200/2012 under sections 386 and 25-D and started probing into the matter. The case was immediately marked to the staff of CIA because of the involvement of the name of Tehreek-e-Taliban Punjab. The staff of CIA in the leadership of SP CIA Malik Liaqat immediately collected the record of the mobile number from which Rehan was receiving threats and arrested an accused namely Khizar Shahzad, a resident of Garhi Shaho Area. The police also recovered different mobile sims from his possession. Further investigations are underway.

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