Pakistan Views

Selection Board for promotion of Brigadiers to the rank of Major General for the year 2008 was held at General Headquarters.

According to ISPR press release, Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani presided the Board. 26 Officers have been recommended for promotion to the rank of Major General by the Selection Board.

The Officers recommended for promotion to the rank of Major General include Brigadier Shahid Hamid Khan, Armoured Corps, Brigadier Asif Nawaz Janjua, Armoured Corps, Brigadier Syed Traiq Nadeem, Artillery, Brigadier Muhammad Ijaz Chaudhry, Artillery, Brigadier Javaid Iqbal Nasar, Artillery, Brigadier Zahir Shah, Engineers, Brigadier Junaid Rehmat, Engineers, Brigadier Mohammad Azeem Asif, Engineers, Brigadier Muhammad Rafiq Sabir, Engineers, Brigadier Muhammad Khalid, Signals, Brigadier Muhammad Saeed Aleem, Infantry, Brigadier Wasim Sadiq, Infantry, Brigadier Naweed Zaman, Infantry, Brigadier Muhammad Nawaz, Infantry, Brigadier Raza Muhammad, Infantry, Brigadier Khawar Hanif, Infantry, Brigadier Maqsood Ahmad, Infantry, Brigadier Tanveer Ullah Khan, Aviation, Brigadier Niaz Kausar Sheikh, Army Services Corps, Brigadier Muhammad Shahid, Electrical & Mechanical Engineers, Brigadier Obaid Bin Zakria, Electrical & Mechanical Engineers, Brigadier Zia Ullah Khan, Army Medical Corps, Brigadier Azhar Mahmud, Army Medical Corps, Brigadier Muhammad Hamid Akram, Army Medical Corps, Brigadier Asif Ali Khan, Army Medical Corps and Brigadier Suhaib Ahmad, Army Medical Corps.

Army on Wednesday wound up an operation in a northwestern town near the Afghan border after clearing the area of Taliban forces, the military said.

Authorities launched an offensive in Hangu last week after insurgents occupying the area killed 17 paramilitary troops in an ambush.

“The operation has been wound up after clearing the area of militants and destroying their hideouts,” chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told AFP.

He said “at least 20 militants were killed and 16 troops embraced martyrdom during the week-long operation.”

He added: “Sixty militants were also arrested during the operation, which has achieved all objectives.”

Asked how long the army would stay in the area after completing the operation, he said: “It is up to the provincial government to decide for how long the troops should be present in the district.”

Pakistan is under intense pressure from the United States and other Western allies to crack down on Taliban forces on its side of the porous border with Afghanistan.

Pakistan is battling militancy after a brief lull brought about by the new government’s negotiations with Taliban militants in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan.

But the United States, Pakistan’s main ally in the “war on terror,” has said it did not approve of the negotiations, which include top Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud.

The government has achieved the objectives in the ongoing security operation against militants in district Hangu of NWFP, however no formal decision has been taken to stop it, Inter Services Public Relations said Tuesday.

Director General, Major General Athar Abbas while talking to Private tv channel he said all the areas of the district Hangu have been cleared of the militants. He said that 15 militants were killed in the security operation against the militants in Hangu and 9 security troops injured”, he said.

A spokesman of the ISPR has said that three officers and three non-commissioned officers on Monday joined the Border Coordination Centre at Torkham.

The officers from Afghanistan National Army and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) had already joined the centre. The officials from Pakistan were awaiting deployment since last three weeks for the want of pre deployment procedural formalities to be completed by ISAF and Afghan Government.

It may be mentioned here that the aim of this coordination centre is to expedite the information sharing system against the illegal cross-border movement, spokesman concluded.

Security forces operation in different areas here continued for the fifth day also, while 15 extremists were killed thus far in the operation and a four-hour relaxation in the clamped curfew in the town has been announced.

Sources said that following security forces taking control of Zargari and Shanahwari, the adjoining areas were being combed for flushing out the extremists. Mortars, tanks, foot soldiers and gunship helicopters were being used in the operation and at least 10 extremists have been killed, while several injured thus far. Curfew break from 7.00 A.M. in the morning to 11.00 A.M. has been announced. However, curfew in Duaba will remain clamped. Tal-Hangu Road traffic remained suspended till now.

DG ISPR, Major General Athar Abbas told Geo News that 15 miscreants have been killed and 60 arrested during the underway operation here thus far, while the contingents of troops were making advances in different areas. Five security personnel have thus far been wounded, he further said.

A Spokesman of Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Wednesday clarified a news report published in American media regarding Pakistani Post’s not being in the United States record.

Reacting to a report published in “The New York Times” captioned “Pakistan Post was not in U.S. Records”, the Spokesman said, the report is factually incorrect and devoid of facts.

“The grid coordinates of all the posts on the Pakistani side of the border had been shared with Coalition Forces at least thrice, since 2003,” the Spokesman said.

Even marked maps were handed over to Coalition Forces at one stage, indicating the location of our posts, the spokesman concluded.

Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani held a meeting with President Pervez Musharraf at the Army House here late on Wednesday ISPR spokesman confirmed it on Thursday. According to press release issued by DG ISPR Athar Abbas it was a routine meeting and issue relating to country’s security situation at Pak-Afghan border, Pak support to US war on terrorism were discussed.COAS and president also shared their views on current political situation of the country.With regards to the news of posting of 111 Brigade Commander, the spokesman said that the subject posting was part of a bulk posting order that included 478 officers ( Brigadiers/Colonels) due for regular posting and the same was issued a month earlier by General Headquarters. Brigadier Asim Bajwa, having completed his command tenure is proceeding for a professional course and there is no abrupt change in it.He also contradicted the news that commandos deputed on security duties with the president are being replaced. Not a single commando has been removed from its present assignment, he said. Similarly, the relief and rotation of Army unit detailed for the guard duties with the President is a routine matter which is planned atleast six month in advance.
Meanwhile talking to private tv said that reports regarding president’s resignation are baseless and President Musharraf has not decided to quit the office.

He said as per our preliminary investigation, it is malicious, unfounded and baseless report. The incident reported is about six months old, nothing was reported formally or informally to any UN office in the area during this period, nor local media reported any such happening. Apparently, it is yet another attempt to malign Pakistan Army and UN Peacekeepers, said the spokesman. No such incident has been reported from mission area nor UN has informed Pakistan about involvement of any Pakistani peacekeeper in any such incident. Pakistani peacekeepers are highly disciplined and motivated soldiers who are esteemed very high for their professionalism and dedication all over the world. He said that it is unfortunate that a television channel which claims to be unbiased, had telecast one sided version without even taking the view of the other side. Pakistan Army will take up the case with UN, OSIS (Office of Over Sight Investigation Service) for detailed investigation of the matter. In case the report is proved false as a result of UN investigation, we have a right to initiate a legal action against the organization or the channel.

Pakistan Army is not withdrawing from South Waziristan rather it is relocating its positions to facilitate return of displaced civilians to their homes. This was stated by Major General Athar Abbas during a detailed briefing to foreign and local media personnel, who were taken on a tour of the area by ISPR.Earlier, the media teams were briefed by Major General Tariq Khan, GOC 14 Div at Dera Ismail Khan on ‘Operation Zalzala’ carried out by the army to clear South Waziristan of miscreants and restore law and order.Tariq reiterated that Pakistan Army was operating in accordance with the government’s policy and would now ensure the return of the civilian population.The GOC provided details of the Army operation after the brutal act of Baitullah Mahsood, who razed the Sararogha Fort and slaughtered some FC personnel on January l6, 2008. He said the operation was carried out in three phases and areas of Spinkai, Kotkai and beyond Kotkai were respectively cleaned up of the miscreants in four days. Replying to a question, Tariq responded that not a single civilian casualty took place since leaflets were distributed in the area for civilians to vacate, who moved out and nearly 200,000 civilians are located in different camps. Remaining were the miscreants, who chose to fight and have either been killed or retreated from the area, he added.He said that the Army was constructing roads, providing electricity, food and ensuring other facilities of life to the people of South Waziristan to bring them into national mainstream. In order to reduce the influence of Talibanisation, three FM Channels have been set up to provide wholesome and meaningful programmes, he informed.In response to a question whether the miscreants would not return to the area once they are relocated, the GOC stated that Army would keep monitoring the area and carry out patrolling to ensure the miscreants do not return. He said return of civilians was being carried out with the help of Maliks and tribal elders to ensure their safe and permanent return, adding, local “Aman” and village based defence committees were being formed for complete restoration of the peace in the area.The GOC informed that 52 children, who were trained to be suicide bombers, were recovered and have been handed over to an NGO ‘Save the Children’ for better upkeep and enabling them to return to normal lives. Later, the media teams was taken to Spinkai near Jandolla and briefed by Brigadier Ali Abbas. The media personnel were shown two factories, where jackets for suicide bombers and other explosive devices were produced by the miscreants. Locations of bunkers, dugouts, terrorist training camps and ammunition dumps were also shown, which have now been destroyed by the Army.Some displaced persons from Tank, Sarrarogha, Spinkai and Jandola were also introduced to the media teams. Nawabzada Siddiq Khan of Tank, while talking to APP said that people of the area welcome the government and the Army and are against the miscreants but were forced to obey them. Most of the displaced persons opined that they were keen to return home and informed the media persons that cases of terrorism have reduced considerably since the Army operation.

Commenting on a news item published in a section of press about withdrawal of troops from South Wazirastan Agency (SWA), the spokesman of ISPR said on Tuesday.The pulling out troops from SWA will be the decision of the government depending upon the outcome of negotiations between the government officials and the Tribesmen. In line to facilitate the return of displaced personnel, Army has decided to readjust present positions and open various roads linking to different villages and townships in the area for return of the civil population, the spokesman.