By IANS,
Islamabad : Urging consensus across the political spectrum on combating terror, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Monday that operations against the Taliban in the restive northwest would continue till the militants were eliminated and civilians uprooted by the conflict able to return to their homes.
“Unless political forces step in to resolve the situation, there is no guarantee of a sustainable solution against terrorism and extremism,” he said while addressing an all-party conference called to brief the country’s political leaders on the security forces’ action in Swat and two other districts of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
In this context, he lamented that while the government had adopted the policy of dialogue, deterrence and development in tackling militancy, it was accused by some political parties of “following foreign directives”.
“I want to make it clear that the focus of our policies is only Pakistan, and nothing else. We are engaged in ensuring peace and prosperity of the country, with patience,” the prime minister maintained.
The security forces had gone into action April 26 after the Taliban reneged on a controversial peace accord with the NWFP government and moved south from their Swat headquarters to occupy Buner, which is just 100 km from Islamabad.
The operations had begun in Lower Dir, the home district of Taliban-backed radical cleric Sufi Mohammad who had brokered the peace deal and then spread to Buner and Swat.
The military says that Lower Dir and Buner have been cleared of the Taliban and that major successes have been achieved in Swat. Some 1,000 militants have so far been killed in the operations.
The all-party conference, attended by leaders of all major political and religious parties discussed in detail the situation arising out of the activities of the militants and extremists in parts of NWFP that forced the government to undertake military action, APP news agency reported.
Gilani said the army action in Swat was continuing successfully but it was not a permanent solution.
It had become necessary because the militants had unleashed violence and brutality on innocent people and made their lives unbearable.
“It was, therefore, decided to call in the army in the best national interests and for the safety of our own people,” Gilani contended.
The military, the prime minister said, would remain in Swat until peace was fully restored and the one million internally displaced persons (IDPs) could return to their homes.
Along with the military action, he said, the rehabilitation of the IDPs was equally important. The government would leave no stone unturned for their rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged property, he added.
“The displaced people of Swat are the guests of the entire country. They should not consider themselves as dejected, because the government honours their sacrifice.”