Military to end operation in FATA soon?

Waziristan operation nearing end: Gilani
GBE Watch

LAHORE, Dec. 12: Pakistan has wrapped up its army offensive against the Taliban in South Waziristan, but now may send its soldiers after militants in another part of the lawless tribal belt along the Afghan border, the prime minister said Saturday. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said troops may now move into the Orakzai tribal region, which lies further north.
That plan illustrates the intractable nature of the militant problem facing this nuclear-armed US ally. Even as the army pounces on armed extremists in one part of the volatile northwest, they often melt away to other stretches of the rugged, barely governed territory. 'The operation has finished in South Waziristan, now there is a discussion of taking it to Orakzai agency,' Gilani told reporters in eastern city of Lahore. 'We are indeed alive in the most testing times. The retrogressive forces are adamant to stall the process of development,' Gilani said at an annual assembly for students of Government College University. 'Our government is committed to block their path and preserve a culture of peace and harmony in the country,' Gilani said, referring to extremists.Pakistan's army launched a ground offensive against the Taliban in South Waziristan in mid-October - a move that has led militants to carry out retaliatory bombings nationwide. The military still issues daily reports of its battlefield actions there, but it is clear that that the activity has slowed down. Many militants are believed to have fled to other parts of the tribal belt, especially North Waziristan and Orakzai. The latter has been the home base for Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud.In recent weeks, the military has launched several airstrikes against militant targets in Orakzai. Such airstrikes could be a prelude to a ground offensive, just as they were in South Waziristan.Military officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the prime minister's statement.The Prime Minister also said that evidence of Indian involvement in terrorist activities is limited to the Balochistan province. He added that if new evidence of involvement in other areas is found then the government will take up the matter with India. Commenting on the movement of American nationals in Pakistan, the Prime Minister said that no one is above the law. Gilani also said that measures to build the capacity of law enforcement agencies will be instituted nationwide. Dawn