ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has ruled out any discrimination in its on-going operation against militants in North Waziristan, with a military spokesman stressing that the Afghan Haqqani network having a sanctuary on the Pakistani side of the Afghan border is a thing of the past. “We’re against terrorists; we didn’t care about their human colour. This includes all nationalities and all groups,” Major General of Pakistan army Asim Bajwa said.
In interviews with Voice of America’s Urdu and Pashto services, Director General ISPR Bajwa said the Zarb-e-Azb offensive has eliminated hundreds of terrorists and the Pakistani forces are now engaged in clearing peripheral areas of the tribal territory as well. “The Haqqani network is history now. This is a thing of the past.”
When asked about safe havens of the Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commanders including Mullah Fazalullah in Afghanistan, Bajwa said Pakistani and Afghan leaders regularly discuss these issues. He said Pakistan shared the information with Kabul about the TTP militant leaders operating from the Afghan soil in the past, but no action was taken.
Meanwhile, a top American diplomat has acknowledged that there should be no militant safe havens on either side of Pakistan-Afghanistan border. “We’ve always been honest about the fact that the US and Pakistan have a common enemy in extremism and a common fight. Pakistani people are the ones most impacted by extremism and so greatly value the contributions that have been made in terms of lives and resources dedicated here — all acknowledge more has to be done and continue to work with Pakistan to help eradicate extremist threats,” US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Dan Feldman told VOA’s Deewa service.
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