No foreign operations to be allowed in Pakistan

PAKISTAN'S military leadership made it clear that no external force will be allowed to conduct operations inside Pakistan and vowed to defend the sovereignty and integrity of the country at all cost.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani made this statement while commenting on the recent incident where the coalition forces killed innocent civilians in a cross-border raid.
"There is no question of any agreement or understanding with the coalition forces whereby they are allowed to conduct operations on our side of the border," the COAS said.
He said that the rules of engagement with the coalition forces are well-defined and, within that, the right to conduct operations against the militants inside own territory is solely the responsibility of the respective armed forces.
The COAS reiterated the need for a collaborative approach for better understanding of a highly complex issue.
He said that trust-deficit and misunderstandings could lead to more complications and increase the difficulties for all. The constraints of operating in these areas must never be lost sight of.
He re-emphasised that there are no quick fixes to this war. "Falling for short-term gains while ignoring our long-term interest is not the right way forward. To succeed, the coalition would be required to display strategic patience and help the other side the way they want it rather than adopting a unilateral approach that may be counter productive."
He said that it is the multi-pronged approach, fully supported by the people of Pakistan, which will help us defeat the threat of internal terrorism.
Referring to his meeting with US senior officers on August 27, he said that they were informed about the complexity of the issue that requires in-depth understanding and more patience for evolving a comprehensive solution.
He said that own viewpoint was elaborated in detail and it was stressed that in such like situations, military action alone cannot solve the problem.
Political reconciliatory effort was required to go along with the military steps to win the hearts and minds of the people. During the discussion, the imperative of public support at large for the military operations also came under focus.
Later, US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen acknowledged the better understanding of ground realities by the COAS, and remarked, "he (the COAS) is committed to doing what is best for Pakistan and he is going to stay the same."
He reiterated that ultimately it is our national interest, which would always guide our policy. General Kayani also regretted the killing of innocent civilians in the incident of Angoor Adda on September 4.
He said that such like reckless actions only help the militants and further fuel the militancy in the area.
He said that Pakistan Army has conducted successful operations against the militants in the past and at present is committed to eliminate them from the affected areas of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Swat.
He said that Pakistan's security forces have given huge sacrifices in this war and it is the presence of the Army, which has denied the freedom of movement and operation to al-Qaeda and the affiliates. He added that it is support of the people of Pakistan, which would be decisive.
In a related development, the Core Commanders of the Pakistan Army are likely to meet on Thursday (September 11) with the COAS in the chair to discuss the situation that has arisen from the statement of United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen.
The meeting is expected to evolve strategy to tackle the new challenges.
Earlier, the leadership of the armed forces of Pakistan including the COAS General Kayani called on the President Asif Ali Zardari and had briefed him about challenges related to country's defence and security.

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