Army chief briefs new Pakistan PM, coalition leaders on war on terror

[fatman17]

Army chief briefs new Pakistan PM, coalition leaders on war on terror

The Associated PressPublished: April 2, 2008

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The army chief briefed Pakistan's new civilian leaders on Wednesday as they review the U.S.-backed policies of President Pervez Musharraf in fighting Islamic militancy.

Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani met with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, key Cabinet ministers and leaders of parties in the ruling coalition. Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said Kayani was giving them a detailed briefing on security issues and the war on terror.

Among those attending were Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted as premier in Musharraf's 1999 coup, and Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto.

Security analyst Nasim Zehra says the meeting reflected the shift in power to civilians after February elections and the new government's intent to review anti-terrorism policies.

Musharraf stepped down as army chief in November but wants to stay on as president.

The past year has seen an alarming rise in Islamic militant violence, which has spread to major cities across Pakistan from the Afghan border where Taliban and al-Qaida find sanctuary.

The new government is offering to negotiate with militant groups which are prepared to renounce violence, rather than rely on military force.

 

[mujahideen]

These meeting are a good sign of how the government should work.

 

[fatman17]

Pakistan to Draft Anti-Terrorism Strategy After Army Briefing

By Khalid Qayum

April 2 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistan's coalition government will draft policy guidelines on combating terrorism on the border with Afghanistan after a meeting between army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and civilian leaders on security.

The guidelines will ``address the menace of terrorism and extremism, through a comprehensive strategy based on political engagement, economic development and backed by a creditable military element,'' according to a release issued today by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani's office in the capital, Islamabad.

The policy will be formed after conducting a ``detailed evaluation of the situation'' and in consultation with coalition partners, according to the prime minister's office.

Pakistan's government will make fighting terrorism its first priority and is ready to negotiate with Islamic religious extremists who give up armed conflict, Gillani said last week in his first speech to parliament. The U.S. government is concerned that a softer approach to extremists may allow them to expand their base in Pakistan and step up attacks on American forces in Afghanistan.

The army chief gave a ``detailed security briefing'' to the premier and the chiefs of the four political parties in the ruling alliance today. The army informed the meeting of its efforts to stabilize the security situation in the tribal areas and northwestern valley of Swat bordering Afghanistan.

Asif Ali Zardari, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Asfandyar Wali and Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman, who head the four political parties in the ruling coalition, were also present at the meeting, according to footage on state-run Pakistan Television.

First Security Meeting

This was the first meeting of the coalition with the army on national security since the transfer of power to civilian rulers from President Pervez Musharraf, a former general.

Gillani had last week emphasized political, rather than military, steps to combat a spreading insurgency by the Taliban and allied groups based along the border with Afghanistan.

More than 2,000 people were killed in Pakistan in terrorist and suicide bomb attacks last year. The ruling coalition parties, which have opposed Musharraf, formed the government last week after defeating those loyal to the president in Feb. 18 parliamentary elections.

The army had previously signed peace accords with tribal leaders supporting the Taliban. The accords had to be scrapped after the army said they failed to end extremism.

Al-Qaeda, in its western haven in western Pakistan, is training operatives who are western in appearance, making it easier for them to get past U.S. airport security, Central Intelligence Director Michael Hayden said on March 30.

 

[JK!]

Given the marginalisation of Tribal elders over the past few years which has limited their role in Tribal politics I find it difficult to see how renegotiations are the key.

In my opinion the benefits will only be short term.