Pakistan rules out offensive against Punjab militants

[Master Khan]

Militancy seems to be gaining ground in Punjab

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik has stressed there are no plans for military action against militants in the Punjab province.
His remarks came hours after he told a parliamentary committee that "Punjabi Taliban" were entrenched in southern parts of Punjab.
Mr Malik said they were planning to destabilise the country.
Few Pakistani officials have acknowledged the existence of militant bases in Punjab despite media reports.
Over the past few years Pakistan has been waging a bitter battle against militants in the north of the country.
Any suggestion that the war is now spreading to the rest of Pakistan would raise concerns about the country's stability - both at home and abroad.

'Effective action'
Mr Malik's comments come days after militants killed more than 90 people in attacks on two mosques of the minority Ahmedi Muslim community in Lahore.
Most Pakistani militancy has been in the north-west

The attacks are being blamed on what are called the Punjabi Taliban, a loose alliance of militant groups linked to Taliban and al-Qaeda militants in Pakistan's north-western tribal areas.
The Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif, accused Mr Malik of "provincialism" for his use of the term "Punjabi Taliban".
This is the first time a top government minister has acknowledged that militants have bases in southern parts of Punjab province, which houses more than half of the country's population.
"No military operation is planned against banned [militant] outfits in Punjab... [but] effective action would jointly be taken [with the Punjab government] to eliminate them," Pakistan's official APP news agency quoted him as telling journalists on Wednesday.
Earlier, while briefing a parliamentary interior committee meeting, Mr Malik said groups of "Punjabi Taliban" had been involved in attacks in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and elsewhere in Punjab province.
He said these groups were entrenched in Punjab and were becoming increasingly dangerous.
Most parliamentarians from southern Punjab have been reluctant publicly to admit the existence of militants there, presumably due to reasons of personal security.
The ruling party of the Punjab province, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has also sought to dispel media reports that Taliban fighters hailing from Punjab province may have hideouts there.
A top minister of Punjab, Rana Sanaullah, recently attracted criticism for seeking the support of a militant organisation, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, during a by-election in March.

[MazloomyarMaseed]

Welcome to Punjab.

This is the same shabaz Sharif who begged Taliban not to target Punjab but to destroy Pakhtunkhwa, as him and the taliban follow the same Anti American feelings, this is the same Sharif brother who begged the Americas to stop India from attacking them a few years ago.

Double standards.

[afghan]

good news let these parasites spread all over in pakistan. they cannt be stoped anyway.

[tor_khan]

I just cannot see the Panjab army using the same tactics on their home turf that they employed in Swat, Bajaur, Waziristan, Balochistan etc.

See with the list above, they people are a different population. Military action within the Panjab would be like going to war with your own.

[Admin Khan]

I just cannot see the Panjab army using the same tactics on their home turf that they employed in Swat, Bajaur, Waziristan, Balochistan etc.

See with the list above, they people are a different population. Military action within the Panjab would be like going to war with your own.

What I never really understood was how Pashtuns could possibly attack their own land. I have heard Pashtuns constitute for nearly 30percent of the Pak Army. If we think about it, That is pretty high if we talk in matters of proportion. I don't understand how a Pashtun can pick up a weapon and start fighting against his own people.

What they did in Swat was devastating.

[tor_khan]

What I never really understood was how Pashtuns could possibly attack their own land. I have heard Pashtuns constitute for nearly 30percent of the Pak Army. If we think about it, That is pretty high if we talk in matters of proportion. I don't understand how a Pashtun can pick up a weapon and start fighting against his own people.

What they did in Swat was devastating.

Percentages vary - and certainly in most cases Pashtoons are footsoldiers rather than command strategists. In a volatile country that it is - the army offers a job, training, a regular income etc. (http://watandost.blogspot.com/2006/1...stan-army.html)

The post is a couple of years old, but gives an idea that at Pashtoon presence is probably between 22-25% at best at the "footsoldier" level and it shows - this decreases rapidly as you progress through the system. The military strategists are not Pashtoon, and (if there were any) do not have Pashtoon interests at heart.

I think that Pashtoons within the army who turn the gun on fellow Pashtoons are trained to follow orders, but perhaps they also believe (remember they are low ranking) that the mission (cleanse the Taliban) is a valid one. I'm not sure. There are, of course, after 60 something years of promotion of a Pakistaniyat agenda, a number of Pashtoons who wholly believe in in fighting for the state.

The facts are that many are in a deep slumber - the army has made a choice to avoid taking the same actions against the Taliban in the Panjab, but that it was ok to displace people from other provinces and/or make their homelands occupied battlegrounds. Maybe some will wake up to this contradition - but unless there is another way - the Pashtoons in the army will probably stay silent and just carry out orders.

You can't get a more honourable soldier than a Pashtoon - this has long been a strength and a weakness. They just need to fight for the right cause, that's all.

[شمله ور خراساني]

What I never really understood was how Pashtuns could possibly attack their own land. I have heard Pashtuns constitute for nearly 30percent of the Pak Army. If we think about it, That is pretty high if we talk in matters of proportion. I don't understand how a Pashtun can pick up a weapon and start fighting against his own people.

What they did in Swat was devastating.

Well,

In Afghanistan you have a Pashtun president and a predominantly Pashtun government and numerous Pashtun military commanders who either watch silently or participate in torture, proescution and mass murder of other Pashtuns.

So why should we be surprised to see Pashtuns in Pakistan doing the same thing?


Being Pashtun or not doesn't mean anything. If a person is immoral or evil by nature, doesn't matter who he is and where he is from.

[Afghan_Soldier]

Mullah Sangara ghat da darwaaghoo gooday yee.. typical mullah type propaganda. That one video is not going to help your case. That rag-tag militia group who protect villages from Taliban and in turn are involved in crimes, who are nothing but juvenile delinquents are very small and insignificant and only active in some areas. Pakistan and its army is, supposodly 30% Pashtuns and a deciplined one, playing dirty game through it Taliban proxies at the price of millions of Pashtuns being displaced, millions suffering from hungar and heat and thousands and upon thousands killed. Where is Afghanistan is an entire tribe collectively punished? You Bull Crapper? No one is sitting by and watches Pashutns being killed in Afghanistan. No one is denying the problems we are facing in Afghanistan.

[MazloomyarMaseed]

My uncle is a Major in the Pakistan Army, he even he says max 13 percent of Pakistan Army are Pashtun, he says Khattaks are in Majority of the Pashtun regiments According to him.

Pashtuns only Pak pawuj for opportunities and money, i really doubt they are loyal to the Army and Pakistan.

From my knowledge the desertion rate is very high amongst Pashtuns in the Pak Army, and the taliban videos can show this very clearly, the officers fighting in Waziristan for Pakistan army always turn out to be Punjabis.

[tor_khan]

My uncle is a Major in the Pakistan Army, he even he says max 13 percent of Pakistan Army are Pashtun, he says Khattaks are in Majority of the Pashtun regiments According to him.

Pashtuns only Pak pawuj for opportunities and money, i really doubt they are loyal to the Army and Pakistan.

From my knowledge the desertion rate is very high amongst Pashtuns in the Pak Army, and the taliban videos can show this very clearly, the officers fighting in Waziristan for Pakistan army always turn out to be Punjabis.

Given your open hostility towards the Pakistan army and its actions - how does your uncle's commitment to the army make you feel? (Hope it's not a personal question).

What rank is a Major anyway? Low, Middle, High?

[MazloomyarMaseed]

Given your open hostility towards the Pakistan army and its actions - how does your uncle's commitment to the army make you feel? (Hope it's not a personal question).

What rank is a Major anyway? Low, Middle, High?

Well...He wants to leave the Army but sadly hes stuck.

To be honest, he is very honest person, he is very opposite to your friend Talal.

He told me, the Army can finish the taliban in one month max, but sadly they dont want to looose their assets.

Iam working on bringing him over to the UK with his family as the army has made him very miserable.

You can say Major is above Captain, he was a Captain in Karachi of the Rangers regiment.

Hes a very nice guy, true Pashtun patriat.