SPINKAI: “The Pakistan Army is not withdrawing from Waziristan, rather it is relocating its positions to facilitate the displaced civilians to return to their homes.”
This was stated by Maj-Gen Athar Abbas during a detailed briefing to foreign and local media personnel, who were taken on a tour of the area by the ISPR. Earlier, the media teams at Dera Ismail Khan were briefed by Maj-Gen Tariq Khan, GOC 14 Div, on Operation Zalzala carried out by the Army to clear South Waziristan of miscreants and restore law and order.
The general 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 Mehsud who razed the Sararogha Fort and slaughtered some FC personnel on Jan 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, the general 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. Those remaining were miscreants, who chose to fight and have either been killed or retreated from the area.
He said the Army was constructing roads, providing electricity and food and ensuring other facilities of the 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 the media personnel.
In response to a question whether the miscreants would not return to the area once they are relocated, the GOC stated that the Army would keep monitoring the area, carry out patrolling to ensure the miscreants do not return.
He said the return of the civilians was taken up with the help of the Maliks and Tribal elders to ensure their safe and permanent return, adding, local “Aman” committees and village based defence set ups were being formed for the complete restoration of the peace.
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 team was taken to Spinkai near Jandolla and briefed by Brigadier Ali Abbas. The media personnel were shown two factories, where suicide bomber’s jackets and other explosive devices were made by 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 said that the people of the area welcome the government and the Army and were not in support of the miscreants but were forced to obey them. Most of the displaced persons opined that they were keen to return to their homes and informed the media persons that the cases of terrorism have reduced considerably since the Army Operation.
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=14785