US ambassador calls on COAS Kayani says ‘no’ to operation in NWA again

[Pk_Thunder]

US ambassador calls on COAS Kayani says ‘no’ to operation in NWA again​

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Thursday, August 11, 2011





ISLAMABAD: Contrary to the peace process gaining momentum in Afghanistan, the US has once again pressed Pakistan to move against militants in North Waziristan. However, sources say Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has responded with an emphatic ëno.í

The demand to carry out an army operation against militants, especially those in North Waziristan, was renewed by US Ambassador Cameron Munter when he called on General Kayani on Wednesday. Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Athar Abbas, confirmed the meeting to Online.

Saying that he was not privy to the meeting, he declined to give any details of what they discussed. In response to a question, the top army spokesman told this agency that the ambassador had requested to meet the COAS.

According to media reports, the army chief did not agree to the US demand to open a consulate in Balochistan. Well-placed sources, however, told Online that the issue was not discussed during the meeting since it was not in the purview of the army to decide on the matter.

When contacted US embassy spokesman Alberto Rodriguez said the meeting between General Kayani and Ambassador Munter was a private meeting and “we normally do not share details of private meetings with the media.î

While defending the ambassador’s meeting with the top general as not being a deviation from diplomatic norms, he said, “We have army to army cooperation”. As a strategic partner of Pakistan, the ambassador normally meets different members of society, he added.

Earlier sources told Online that the ambassador had conveyed a tough message of the Obama Administration to Pakistan’s military leadership that they would have to swallow another bitter pill of conducting an army operation against North Waziristan militants. “There are tough times ahead for you and more and more emerging indicators are not in your favour,” sources close to the ambassador quoted him as telling the army chief.

According to sources, the army chief told the US ambassador that the civilian government would decide on the issue of carrying out any fresh army operation within the territories of Pakistan. He told the American envoy that stopping drone attacks in the tribal areas would help accelerate the peace process on both sides of the border with Afghanistan. According to sources, Kayani reiterated Pakistan’s stance on drone attacks and said they were counterproductive to law enforcement against extremists.

 

[Respect4Respect01]

no we cant afford and more operations, we are getting bombed everyday, our ppl are getting killed, not americans.