Halt to military operations in Fata demanded

[Shah-i-Kot]

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-7-113365-Halt-to-military-operations-in-Fata-demanded

Halt to military operations in Fata demanded


Bureau report
Saturday, June 09, 2012






PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Fata chapter has asked the government to immediately stop military operations in the tribal areas.

Addressing a news conference here on Friday, PTI chief organiser for Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), Dr Bashir Khan and others said that innocent tribal people were being killed in the so-called military operations while nothing was being done to out an end to the US drone attacks. They stressed the need for resolving the problems in the tribal areas through talks.

Dr Bashir stressed that the PTI would not allow any drone attack in the country. He also demanded creation of a separate province for the tribal areas. “The PTI has worked out a comprehensive plan for the tribal areas and would be unveiled during the visit of the party chief Imran Khan to Fata,” he added.

[Matt]

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-New...-Fata-demanded

Halt to military operations in Fata demanded


Bureau report
Saturday, June 09, 2012






PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Fata chapter has asked the government to immediately stop military operations in the tribal areas.

Addressing a news conference here on Friday, PTI chief organiser for Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), Dr Bashir Khan and others said that innocent tribal people were being killed in the so-called military operations while nothing was being done to out an end to the US drone attacks. They stressed the need for resolving the problems in the tribal areas through talks.

Dr Bashir stressed that the PTI would not allow any drone attack in the country. He also demanded creation of a separate province for the tribal areas. “The PTI has worked out a comprehensive plan for the tribal areas and would be unveiled during the visit of the party chief Imran Khan to Fata,” he added.

Wonder if the demand comes from another one of the administrations' statement's calling for yet another wave of drone escalations.

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/06/08/o...s-in-pakistan/

[Shah-i-Kot]

Wonder if the demand comes from another one of the administrations' statement's calling for yet another wave of drone escalations.

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/06/08/o...s-in-pakistan/

Pakistan has been allowing drone attacks since 2004, and in some cases even condoning it. However, their cooperation was very selective as they would only allow drone attacks against TTP. According to several academics on this matter, they had zones where they would not allow this.

Back in 2004 and 2007, Pakistan signed peace deals with several insurgent groups after Pakistan lost over 5000 soldiers. The war in Waziristan was carried out under Musharraf's rule, and it was specifically requested by the US. He obliged to it, but after they failed to win in Waziristan, he signed a deal- something I think which is along the lines in which the insurgent groups do not attack Pakistan military, and Pakistan military does not intervene in those areas.


The present situation is this: Pakistan is opposed to the drone attacks- the civilian government and the military is now on the same page because these drones antagonize people. Pakistan only involves itself in such a dirty game as long as the situation allows it.

Imran Khan with his PTI political party has made it a cornerstone of his foreign policy initiative to end Pakistan support for the NATO war as well as Pakistans war in FATA. He has been against this for the last 7 years.

This is why he is demanding an end to Pakistan war in Waziristan, and wants to make peace. In other words, return the situation to how it was pre 2002.

The state of Pakistan is at risk of breaking apart if there is continuation for support for the NATO war. This is the rationale behind the current thinking.

At the same time, Pakistan is a country that can be easily bought and made to do whatever is desired simply with the flash of millions of dollars. Pakistan support for the NATO war was the only way it was possible as no other country in the region would allow the supply of lethal supplies to the NATO war.

It is due to this reason to that when Pakistan stops cooperating with NATO, the war becomes more and more improbable to carry on.

The recent transit deals that NATO signed with a few central asian countries only permite reverse transit of lethal weapons/supplies OUT of Afghanistan, and this at a hefty cost too. These nations do not permit lethal supplies from going towards Afghanistan.

Pakistan, one of the only Muslim countries, has paradoxically been the ONLY country supplying NATO with lethal supplies, and therein lies the reason why when Pakistan stops cooperating all of NATO's designs and ability for continuous war fall flat.