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KP governor says: No timeframe for troop withdrawal from tribal areas
[Dawn] Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... Governor Masood Kausar on Wednesday said no timeframe could be fixed for withdrawal of combat troops from Federally Administered Tribal Areas to peacetime position. "I can't say anything about the timeframe to withdraw security forces from the fighting positions to peacetime positions as long as peace is not achieved in Afghanistan," he told news hounds at the conclusion of his two-day visit to  Kurram Agency...home of an intricately interconnected web of poverty, ignorance, and religious fanaticism, where the laws of cause and effect are assumed to be suspended, conveniently located adjacent to Tora Bora... The governor said security forces would remain in Fata even after restoration of peace in tribal borderlands. He said there was instability in Afghanistan and its fallout was directly affecting nearby tribal areas. Pakistain has over 100,000 army and paramilitary troops in Fata fighting militancy. "I cannot give any date for the pull out of troops as well as return of the internally displaced persons to Fata," he said. Mr Kausar said normality was returning to tribal agencies and IDPs were gradually returning home. He added that around two million people had been displaced in Fata. He expressed satisfaction over the prevailing situation in Kurram Agency and said no major incident of violence had happened during the last two years in the valley. He said political administration with the cooperation of elders would take more steps to keep Thall-Parachinar Road safe and secure for traffic. He said he was optimistic that Muharram would be observed peacefully in Kurram and Orakzai agencies and Kohat division.During interaction with the elders and other segments of the society in Parachinar, Kurram headquarters, Mr Kausar said the government could not maintain peace and stability unilaterally without the cooperation of local population. Posted by: Fred 2012-11-09 |
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