PESHAWAR - Corps Commander Peshawar Lt-Gen Khalid Rabbani said on Thursday night the government and political leadership of the country would decide about the North Waziristan operation and snubbed all such speculations and rumors being spread to this effect by western media.
Speaking briefly at an iftar party he hosted in honour of the journalists here, the Corps Commander said that the operation in North Waziristan Agency would be conducted with the approval of the government by taking all the stakeholders into confidence.
The decision about the operation would come from Islamabad and not from the outside world, he said while referring to foreign media reports to this effect. Whatever decision is taken in this regard would be taken with consensus with the quarters concerned keeping in view the ground realities. It would not be a decision of an individual institution, he added.
He said that any operation started with the support and backing of the nation always met with success and referred to various previous military operations of Pakistan Army which were a success story especially in Swat. “We have conducted so many operations in the tribal agencies bordering Afghanistan against the militants without any foreign forces and remained successful.” General Khalid Rabbani said “We conduct operation when we are told to do so. However to a question by a newsman he said at the moment operation in NWA was not imminent.”
Pakistan does not need any foreign assistance and help for carrying out operation in NWA, he said, adding we will carry it out in our own environment, preparations and timing. The Pakistan Army he said was ready for conducting the operation saying we are ready at all times.