Pakistan considers launching military operation in March

Pakistan could launch a full-scale military operation against Pakistani Taliban insurgents in the tribal areas near the Afghan border as early as this month, the defence minister said, warning insurgents against violating a ceasefire.

Dashing chances of a peace deal with the Pakistani Taliban, gunmen burst into a courtroom in Islamabad on Monday, killing 11 people in a broad daylight attack in the heart of the heavily guarded capital.

The Pakistani Taliban denied any role in the assault and a splinter group accepted responsibility.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told Reuters in an interview that the government would not hesitate to bomb militant hideouts or send forces into the tribal areas if the Taliban did not abide by the ceasefire announced last weekend.

"It will not take months now. We'll have to march in the month of March," Asif said, describing the government's response if insurgent attacks continued.

"If there is a ceasefire, it has to be complete. Without that, we just can't afford to have talks with the Taliban."

Asif, long considered a pro-talks politician, is now one of a growing number of members of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's cabinet who believe it is time for tougher military action against Pakistani Taliban strongholds.

Sharif has been under pressure from the United States and hawks within the Pakistani army to send troops into North Waziristan, a tribal region along the Afghan border that is home to a complex web of al Qaeda-linked militant groups.

Since 2007, the military has mounted a number of offensives against militant strongholds in the northwest, largely clearing several areas, including their bastion of South Waziristan.

But North Waziristan has not been tackled, even though Pakistani Taliban members have taken refuge with allied Afghan factions based there that are not fighting the Pakistani state.

In February, Pakistan launched talks with the Taliban to find a negotiated settlement. But hopes of a peace deal have been crushed by a series of attacks and counter-attacks by both sides.

"We won't just take this lying down," the defence minister said. "If we are attacked, the state is attacked, civilians are attacked, military personal are attacked, we will retaliate. We will retaliate in kind."

For a government long considered soft for pursuing peace talks, Asif said there were now very few takers for the argument that the Taliban are truly committed to dialogue.

"The Taliban have not even condemned this so-called splinter group four days after the attack. They are saying, 'We have not violated a ceasefire, these are peripheral groups, they are not under our control,'" Asif said.

"But we cannot believe this."

When asked about reports that talks may be re-launched, this time with Pakistan's powerful military in the driving seat, he said: "The army's input is very valuable. They are the people on the frontlines. They have to execute our decisions."


REUTERS