Hoti terms SWA action ‘mother of all battles’

[Naveed Yaseen]

Daud Khattak
PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti has said that ‘mother of all battles’ is likely to be launched soon in South Waziristan to rout militants and help restore peace in the province.

Talking to journalists after distributing medals and awards to relatives of policemen killed in terrorist attacks, he said to consolidate the victory in Malakand division, the government had to strike at the roots from where militancy spread its tentacles to rest of the country.

To a question if an operation against militants should be launched in some parts of the Punjab, the chief minister said, “It must be conducted wherever it is necessary to settle the problem once and for all.”

The chief minister said the trouble would continue to persist unless a decisive operation was conducted in all the affected areas. “We’ve offered great sacrifices and are likely to give more to win a lasting peace for our people,” he told a questioner.

Hoti said his government and the province was facing a war-like situation but the government was fully prepared to cope with the crisis. “We’ve done out of box solutions and would do the same if needed,” said the chief minister who asked people not to be panicked as the government was doing its utmost to win peace.

Hinting at the possible operation in South Waziristan, a stronghold of Taliban, Hoti said the government needed to take decisive action and that would be the ‘mother of all battles’. Earlier, addressing the ceremony, the chief minister eulogised the police force for valour in fighting terrorists and protecting people. “It is due to their sacrifices that the people of NWFP are safe from a bigger destruction that the terrorists can inflict,” he added.

He said the sacrifices of police force from NWFP were much more compared to their counterparts in other provinces and also security agencies in the country. “These brave men are fighting an enemy who are neither Muslims nor humans,” he said.

On this occasion, the chief minister offered his seat to a child among the relatives of martyred policemen to pay tribute to those killed in a terrorist attack.

Inspector General of NWFP Police Malik Naveed Khan said he was proud of his force for rendering greater sacrifices for the security of the province and its people. He said the purpose of today’s ceremony was to remember the brave people and get close to their family members for some moments.

He said the provincial government had increased the compensation amount for the families of slain policemen from Rs300,000 to Rs1500,000.

Medals were distributed to relatives of slain policemen from Peshawar, Nowshera and Charsadda. The Capital City Police Officer Liaqat Ali Khan said 69 police officers and constables had lost lives since January 1. Another 63 policemen were injured in the fight.

On this occasion, four police posts were named after slain policemen. The renamed police posts included Saifan police post after DSP Shah Jehan, Tarnab police post after Ziaur Rehman, Inqilab police post in the name of Samiullah and Arbab Tapoo police post in the name of Zardad Shaheed.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=203497