| "No! Wait! We've changed our minds!" |
Pakistan army today denied that it is pulling out its troops from Wana subdivision, the headquarters of the south Waziristan tribal agency near Afghanistan where its forces were battling to flush out al Qaeda militants for several months. Contradicting reports published in the media here quoting Pakistan Army's Corps Commander Lt-Gen Safdar Hussain stating that the troops would be withdrawn from Wana sub division following assurances by local militant leaders that they would not shelter terrorists, Defence Spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan said no troop withdrawal would take place. Only the checkposts in the area would be handed over to local tribesman but there was no withdrawal of troops, he told the state-run PTV.
Gen. Hussain was quoted in the media here as saying at a jirga of the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe at the Governor House in Peshawar yesterday that "peace has been restored in Wana and now the military will not use force in any part of the area." He hoped the tribes men would also fulfil their responsibility to maintain peace and tranquillity in their area. Local media reports said withdrawal of troops and removal of check posts from the Wana subdivision was part of a deal reached between the government and five most wanted militants. |