Sunday, May 18, 2008

By our correspondent

PESHAWAR/MINGORA: Corps Commander Peshawar Lt-Gen Muhammad Masood Aslam has said the Army is fully behind the democratically-elected government's peace process in the tribal areas. Talking to reporters at the screening of a documentary 'Sipahi Maqbool Hussain' at the Garrison Auditorium here, he said the Army would seek direction from the government for the resolution of the issues in the conflict-hit places. "The Army is a part of the government and is fully on board in the peace process now under way in the tribal areas and Swat," he stressed.

Answering a question, Masood downplayed a statement by the military commander for Swat Maj-Gen Nasser Janjua in which he said militant cleric Maulana Fazlullah would have to lay down arms and face trial. He explained that it would be up to the government to decide how to deal with someone who had committed acts in violation of law.

The corps commander recalled that the Army was called in by the then government in the NWFP to be deployed in Swat due to the deteriorating law and order situation. "We will withdraw the troops from Swat once the government decides the situation has sufficiently improved and there is no further need to remain there," he added.

Our correspondent adds from Mingora: The corps commander told a gathering here that the deployment of the Army in Swat district was aimed at restoring peace rather than conquering the picturesque valley. He was addressing a ceremony at the FC Camp Kanju after distributing the first instalment of Rs 1 billion uplift package for the Swat area among the local contractors of the respective union councils.

Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had announced the package a few days ago. Masood said the basic duty of the Army was to guard the borders of the country, saying the Army had always been deployed in areas where other law enforcement agencies failed to establish the writ of the government.


http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=14779

PESHAWAR: The military backs the federal and provincial governments in their efforts to bring peace to the Frontier province and tribal areas, Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Masood Aslam said on Saturday.

“The army fully supports these peace efforts by the governments in Peshawar and Islamabad,” Lt Gen Aslam told reporters after attending the screening of the film biography of Sipahi Maqbool Hussain.

He said the army went to Swat after the situation spiralled out of control and soldiers would return if the government deemed withdrawal necessary. General Masood dismissed the impression that the army was not backing political process by demanding Mullah Fazlullah’s surrender first. “If the government has any evidence against him he can be tried. But we cannot say what the government should be doing with Fazlullah,” the Peshawar corps commander went on to say.

He said: “The army has created an atmosphere for the peace talks.” The corps commander said the situation in Swat was improving. But he added that as long as the policing did not improve the situation could not be described as fully satisfactory. iqbal khattak


Daily Times

Thank God. May the army continue to be a stabilizing force like this by sticking to its job.