Army knows how to protect National Interest
by
Maqbool Malik

KAMRA – Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has made it clear that the United States will have to take Pakistan into confidence over new Afghan policy.The COAS said this while informally talking to a group of senior journalists shortly after the rollout ceremony of Pakistan’s first JF-17 aircraft here Monday. Gen Kayani said Americans knew that the Pakistan’s role was very much essential for stability in Afghanistan. “We know how to protect our national interests,” he added.When his attention was drawn towards US efforts to review its Afghan policy, General Kayani said the US would have to take Pakistan on board about its future Afghan policy. “The US leadership realises the importance of Pakistan and its key role in the war against terror. Therefore, it is out of question that US can sideline Pakistan on such an important issue”, General Kayani maintained. He defended the timing of operation Rah-e-Nijat launched to target the terror networks of late Baitullah Mehsud in South Waziristan Agency, saying security forces had the requisite element of surprise. “We launched the offensive and took the terrorists by surprise,” he added.General Kayani added that the operation was launched precisely one and a half hour after the high level briefing at the Prime Minister House, Islamabad on October 17.The COAS also dismissed the notion that hardcore TTP leaders and commanders had escaped to Afghanistan, adding that terrorists had failed to resist the operation and were on the run. “We are trying to hunt them in effort, and they are left with no space to regroup,” the COAS said.He explained that the security forces had made very important gains in Operation Rah-e-Nijat and vowed to hunt down the terrorists come what may.Besides securing key areas from terrorists and destruction of their bases, the security forces in South Waziristan have killed at least 550 terrorists and apprehended 15 others, whereas 60 security forces personnel have been martyred and 150 injured since the launch of Operation Rah-e-Nijat on October 17.