Gilani U-turn on Taliban offensive; says operation to continue

Pak PM Yousuf Raza Gilani did an about turn on ending the military offensive against Taliban in South Waziristan.

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani did an about turn on ending the military offensive against Taliban in South Waziristan even as 19 militants and three security personnel were killed in fresh clashes in the country’s northwest.

Talking to reporters in Lahore,Gilani initially said the offensive against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in South Waziristan Agency “has ended” and there was now “talk of (an operation) in Orakzai Agency”.

Hours later,Gilani told the media in Karachi that the operation in South Waziristan will continue.

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“This operation has continued with great success and the strongholds of militants have been captured and a large quantity of weapons and ammunition has been recovered,” he said.

He said he could not give a timeframe for completing the offensive.

If somebody had gained the impression that the military operation would be concluded,”it could have been in a different context,” Gilani said. The government will chase militants wherever they take refuge.

“We will take military action wherever we get information about the presence of militants,” he added.

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Meanwhile,a militant commander wanted by police for several incidents of sabotage and insurgency was among the 16 rebels killed during operations by troops in different areas of Kurram Agency,which has been affected by sectarian strife over the past two years.