Operation put on hold for one month

Published August 31, 2008

LAHORE, Aug 30: The ongoing military operation against militants in tribal areas will come to a halt on the midnight of August 31 and remain suspended during Ramazan, Adviser to Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik announced here on Saturday.

He was talking to reporters after attending a seminar on ‘Secure Pakistan: National Response Centre for Cyber Crimes’ organised by FIA.

Mr Malik said the operation would remain suspended till the 2nd day of Eidul Fitr.

However, he pointed out, law-enforcement agencies would respond with full force, if anybody tried to take advantage of the government initiative and indulged in militancy.

He said all people who had left their homes because of violence in the tribal region, should go back, adding that their security and safety would be ensured by law-enforcement agencies.

The adviser said 23,000 people had already gone back to their homes. He said satellites were being used to monitor militants’ activities and because of it, security agencies had achieved successes.

He said people in the affected areas had started playing an effective role in the operation against militants, adding that they had not only disallowed them from entering their areas but they had also driven them out. If the militants resisted, people had even killed them, he said.

Mr Malik said the government would strictly adhere to a policy of no leniency towards militants, adding that it would never hold talks with them.

Referring to Dr Afia’s case, he said the government would fully support her.

He said that militants should not be projected as heroes by the media. He cited India’s example and said journalists there kept national interests supreme and did not report various incidents occurring there on TV channels.

Earlier, in his speech at the seminar, Mr Malik said FIA would create public awareness about cyber crimes and added that tribunals would be set up soon to deal with such crimes.

FIA Director-General Tariq Pervez and project director of the National Response Centre for Cyber Crimes Syed Ammar Hussain Jafferi also spoke.

—APP

Opinion

Editorial

A hasty retreat
Updated 28 Nov, 2024

A hasty retreat

Govt should not extend its campaign of violence against PTI and its leaders, thinking it now has the upper hand. Enough is enough.
Lebanon truce
28 Nov, 2024

Lebanon truce

WILL it hold? That is the question many in the Middle East and beyond will be asking after a 60-day ceasefire ...
MDR anomaly removed
28 Nov, 2024

MDR anomaly removed

THE State Bank’s decision to remove its minimum deposit rate requirement for conventional banks on deposits from...
Islamabad march
Updated 27 Nov, 2024

Islamabad march

WITH emotions running high, chaos closes in. As these words were being written, rumours and speculation were all...
Policing the internet
27 Nov, 2024

Policing the internet

IT is chilling to witness how Pakistan — a nation that embraced the freedoms of modern democracy, and the tech ...
Correcting sports priorities
27 Nov, 2024

Correcting sports priorities

IT has been a lingering battle that has cast a shadow over sports in Pakistan: who are the national sports...