ISLAMABAD, Sept 19: The government on Wednesday announced it did not intend to permanently deploy the army in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata).“The government is not considering permanent infrastructure for the army in Fata,” Interior Ministry spokesman Brig (retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema told reporters at a weekly press briefing.

About 80,000 troops are stationed in the tribal areas to fight extremists since 2003 with the casualty figure for both sides mounting every day.

“The government is building the Frontier Corps and the Frontier Constabulary’s capacity in the Fata region as part of a strategy to ensure peace and stability for (accelerated) development in the region,” the spokesman said.

Terming peace vital for rapid progress, he said tribes were expected to cooperate with the government in their own interest and in larger national interest.

Referring to the Tarbela suicide attack, he said that investigations were progressing well. “We hope to quickly expose the (suicide) attackers’ network,” he said.

Responding to a question about the loss of lives during recent clashes between security personnel and militants in Waziristan, he said: “Our security forces suffered some losses. I don’t have exact figures but security personnel also killed a number of militants.”

About the abduction of FC men by militants, Brig (retd) Cheema hoped that a jirga, engaged in negotiating with the militants, would soon secure the unconditional release of the abducted personnel.

Answering a question about the killing of Maulana Hasan Jan in Peshawar, he said the Maulana’s murder was a grim reminder of the threat militants posed to peace.

The spokesman said the assassinated religious scholar was a staunch campaigner against militancy and terrorism in the name of religion.

Blaming his killing on militants misusing religion, he said that the Maulanahad issued edicts declaring suicide attacks un-Islamic.

“A thorough inquiry into the matter has been ordered. The government vows to punish culprits involved in his killing,” he said.

Responding to a question about the reopening of Lal Masjid, he said the government was in contact with people living in sector G-6. “We do not want to again face the situation similar to the one we faced when the mosque was reopened on July 27.”

Mr Cheema said some progress had been made in investigations into incidents of terrorism and suicide attacks in Rawalpindi, Sargodha and elsewhere in Punjab.