Pakistan ‘formally’ declares all-out war against Taliban
May 8th, 2009 - 12:37 pm ICT by ANI
Islamabad, May 8 (ANI): Pakistan has finally declared an all-out war against the Taliban in the Swat and Malakand Divisions of the country’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
In a televised address to the nation on Thursday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced the formal deployment of troops in the Malakand region, and vowed to flush out militants from the area at all costs.
“We will eliminate those who have tried to destroy peace of the country,” Gilani said.
In an attempt to justify the government’s move to sign the Swat peace deal with the TNSM to force the Taliban to lay down their arms, Gilani said the government accepted the demand for the enforcement of the Nizam-e-Adl in the hope that peace would be restored.
“We had faced pressure. We were criticized for such policies, but we took the decision for our national interests,” The Nation quoted Gilani, as saying.
He urged the people of the country to stand behind the security forces strongly, so that they can quell the menace permanently which has virtually held Pakistan hostage.
“We will not compromise. The nation must stand against those who have imposed their will at gunpoint. They have held the country hostage,” Gilani added.
Referring to the Swat flogging incident, in which the Taliban had publicly whipped a teenaged girl, Gilani said such ’shameful acts’ against women in the country has not only earned a bad name for the nation, but has also put the lives of local people under perpetual threat.
He also announced a package of one billion rupees for the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons. (ANI)
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Tags: adl, country hostage, frontier province, gilani, gunpoint, islamabad, malakand, militants, national interests, nizam, north west frontier, nwfp, one billion, peace deal, raza, rupees, shameful acts, swat, teenaged girl, yousuf
