Policy statement: ‘Military prepared for all challenges’

ISLAMABAD: In what appears to be a policy statement amid calls for an all-out operation against militants, Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on Friday said security forces were fully prepared to counter internal and external threats. “Let there be no doubt that Pakistan armed forces are battle hardened and fully capable to counter any internal or external threat posed to the integrity and sovereignty of our beloved country,” General Raheel was quoted as saying by the military’s media wing. His remarks came during a visit to the Frontier Corps headquarters in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa days after 23 abducted FC personnel were killed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the army chief appreciated the spirit and high morale of the paramilitary force. He said the entire nation acknowledged sacrifices rendered by them as part of the national effort to eliminate the scourge of terrorism from Pakistan, and assured them that these sacrifices would not go to waste. He lauded the efforts and determination of all troops and law enforcement agencies who cleared affected areas, with the help of the local population and support of the entire nation. “We are fully prepared to confront any challenge in future as well,” he said. His carefully worded statement is seen as a possible indication of a military operation in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) as chances of any peace deal with TTP now seem bleak in the wake of the recent militant attacks. Security officials are also not hopeful of restoration of the fragile peace process following the killing of FC men by the TTP. “There is lot of anger within the rank and file of the army over the recent killing of soldiers,” commented a security official while requesting anonymity. The official said the army leadership had conveyed to the government that talks could not proceed further under the shadow of ‘these barbaric acts.’ He said the civil and military leadership had been consulting each other over the past few days on how to proceed further. “They are analysing the different aspects including the likely fallout of the possible targeted operation against the TTP,” he added. One official pointed out that General Raheel’s latest statement suggesting that security forces were ready to confront any challenge was a clear indication that the army could do the job if the government decides to go all out against the TTP. Nuclear arsenal in safe hands Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif also expressed satisfaction over the safety and security of the country’s nuclear facilities while visiting the headquarters of the Army Strategic Force Command in Rawalpindi. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lt General Obaidullah, Commander Strategic Force Command, briefed the army chief on matters of operation and security. In an interactive session with the troops, he appreciated their ‘professionalism, highest training standards and morale’. This was General Raheel’s first visit to the headquarters of Army Strategic Force Command since he assumed the office of army chief in November last year. A report recently released by the Nuclear Threat Initiative appreciated the measures taken by Pakistan over the past few years for the safety and security of the nuclear programme. The study indicates that Pakistan has shown the most improvement recently among the nine nuclear-armed states through a series of steps to update nuclear security regulations and to implement best practices. The 2014 Nuclear Threat Initiative’s Nuclear Materials Security Index has ranked Pakistan above India in terms of nuclear safety. India is ranked 23rd out of 25 countries with weapons-usable nuclear materials in the world, while China is placed 20th on the index. Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2014.