Pakistan Government has popular support against militants: Wajid

 

LONDON: Pakistan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Wajid Shamsul Hasan has said Islamabad is determined to carry forward the current law enforcement operations in Swat Valley to its logical conclusion to restore its writ and rid the area of all militancy. Speaking to the BBC TV in the aftermath of a bomb explosion in Lahore which reportedly killed 23 people and injured many others on 27 May, he termed the incident as a desperate action by the militants and extremists to disrupt life in principal cities to put pressure on the Government to stop the operations.

 

“I don’t think the operation will be stopped because it has been decided to take it to the full end, to destroy all those elements who are trying to destabilize the country”, he said.

 

The High Commissioner was confident that the Pakistan Government has done and will do more to tighten the security. He said the Government has succeeded in flushing the militants out from the prominent places in Swat.

 

Hasan said the militants and extremists are on the run from the areas they were operating in the Swat Valley through various disguises such as shaving their beards and wearing Burkas.

 

He asserted that the Government will not let these elements go scot‑free. The Government, he added, is in capable hands and is taking effective measures to deal with the situation with the united support of the Parliament and the people.

 

Responding to a question, the High Commissioner said the international community has pledged to help Pakistan and the promised assistance and aid is in the pipeline.

 

“We need more assistance because it is a full‑fledged war and we need to go after these elements. We are doing whatever we can within our limited resources.”

 

He also spoke about the three million Afghan refugees hosted by Pakistan and said the situation has been further compounded by about two million dislocated persons fleeing from the affected areas of Swat and elsewhere in NWFP.  “All this requires a lot of assistance. The collateral damage is enormous so we have to pacify the people as well.”

 

Answering another question, the High Commissioner said that Pakistan and Afghan authorities were cooperating with each other and had signed quite a few agreements including the joint monitoring of the borders.

He said they were moving in the right direction while pointing out that NATO forces would have to ensure that the Afghan borders were secure to prevent Afghan Taliban from crossing into Pakistan.

 

 

APP - May 27, 2009