By IANS,
Islamabad: Pakistan’s armed forces have succeeded in destroying the Taliban infrastructure in the country’s northwest, Defence Minister Ahmad Mukhtar said Monday.
Speaking to Elke Hoff, a member of the German Federal Parliament, who called on him here, Mukhtar said the security forces had successfully defeated the terrorists in Swat and South Waziristan Agency and they were now on the run, Online news agency reported.
He said terrorism was posing a grave threat to the peace and stability of the entire world and the international community needed to focus its efforts on addressing the fundamental causes of terrorism by providing employment opportunities and undertaking development projects in the terror-hit areas of Pakistan.
The international community was also required to strengthen Pakistan’s counter-terrorism capacity, both in terms of equipment and finance, to effectively eradicate the scourge, the minister maintained.
Mukhtar and Hoff also exchanged views on the existing level of defence cooperation between their countries and emphasized the need to further broaden this.
The Pakistani armed forces had launched a major offensive against the Taliban in Swat and other areas of the North West Frontier Province in April. The focus later shifted to the South Waziristan Agency along the border with Afghanistan. The military claims some 2,500 militants have been killed in the two operations.