Pakistan to hunt down terrorists wherever they are: Qureshi
August 17, 2009
US focusing on Pak economy, energy sector
* Holbrooke says task force set up to overcome power crisis, will announce projects in Karachi
* Success against Taliban impressive
By Muhammad Bilal
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi vowed on Sunday to eliminate terrorists from every part of the country, with the US assuring Pakistan of its support in tackling challenges facing the country, including the energy crisis.
Addressing a joint press conference after a meeting with US special envoy Richard Holbrooke, Qureshi said both sides were in agreement that the Swat operation was a success, and the tide has turned against the Taliban.
The minister said the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan was in disarray following the reported death of Baitullah Mehsud, and the process of choosing a successor was lingering on because of intense infighting.
The Pakistani government has a very clear strategy .. we will go to every area to clear our territory of terrorists, said Qureshi.
He made it clear the government was determined to re-establish the writ of the state in every troubled area. He said the government had never said it would not go into Waziristan, but it would launch an operation in a new area only after proper planning.
He said he had conveyed to the US concern over the perpetual flow of weapons and money from Afghanistan into Pakistan to breed militancy.
Qureshi also called on the US to step forward to help Pakistan overcome economic challenges.
Holbrooke said his country had shifted its focus very substantially towards the South Asian allys economy and energy sector.
Today, energy is our primary focus. Of course, we [also] talked about several other things, he said. We shifted the focus deliberately and consciously to .. the economy, and above all, the energy crisis.
Holbrooke is expected announce energy projects when he visits Karachi in the coming days.
According to the APP news agency, Holbrooke said a task force, led by Marry Bethman, had been set up to overcome Pakistans energy crisis.
The envoy said Pakistans progress against the Taliban had allowed the two sides to discuss other issues.
He said the US was very impressed with troops success against the Taliban. The US diplomat said Taliban were now on the defensive.
About Indias alleged involvement in fanning an insurgency in Balochistan through Afghanistan, Holbrooke only said the Balochistan issue was of considerable importance, and he had talked to both Pakistan and Afghanistan. He also said that if the US distanced itself from Nawaz Sharif, it would hurt US interests, as he is the popular leader in Pakistan.
Maulvi Nazir among 17 killed in Taliban infighting
* Nazir spokesman says group will not blame anyone until it has confirmed attackers identity
Daily Times Monitor
LAHORE: At least 17 members of the Maulvi Nazir faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), including Maulvi Nazir himself, have been killed in fighting with the Baitullah Mehsud group, rival leader Turkistan Bhittani told a private TV channel on Sunday.
They were hiding behind rocks and, as soon as our people reached there, they opened fire. It was so sudden and quick that none of our men could fire back, Shaheen Wazir, Maulvi Nazirs spokesman, told the Reuters news agency via telephone. However, another spokesman, Abdul Haq, told AFP the group was not blaming anyone. We cannot say whether it was Mehsuds men or the government that was behind this attack, he added.
Meanwhile, an intelligence official of the region said Taliban belonging to the Baitullah Mehsud group had also fired rocket-propelled grenades at pick-up trucks carrying Wazir fighters towards Wana. A resident saw the Taliban carrying some of the dead bodies into Wana after the attack, Reuters reported.