Pak Army expresses concern over 'absence of political ownership' of battle against terror
Islamabad, Dec. 18 (ANI)
Following the recent attack on the Peshawar airport, the Pakistan Army has voiced concerns over the 'absence of political ownership' of the ongoing battle against militancy in the country.
Senior security officials claimed that political ownership was needed for the decisive push against militants, who, in recent months, have launched some of the most daring attacks, reports The Express Tribune.
"Can you recall a single instance where our civilian leadership visited the troops at the front line?" said a senior military official.
The official's remarks suggest uneasy relations between the government and military authorities, who have always been accused of dictating the country's national security policy, the paper said.
However, the official blamed 'political expediency' as the main reason behind the lack of a clear-cut policy to deal with the terror threat.
"Yes, there seems absence of political ownership and decisive leadership on the counter-terrorism strategy," said Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid leader Senator Mushahid Hussain, who heads the Upper House's Defence Committee.
Military authorities were also upset over the slow progress towards removing flaws from the existing anti-terrorism laws, which many critics believe are too weak to successfully prosecute terror suspects, the paper stated.
Security analyst Brig (retd) Mahmood Shah said the government has to launch a full-scale operation against the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates before it gets too late.
"The involvement of Uzbeks in the Peshawar airport attack confirms that it was planned in North Waziristan Agency," added Shah, who also served as Secretary Security for the Federal Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
He said it appears that the government was in a fix over ordering the operation in fear of negative fallout regarding its bid for seeking a second term in office in the upcoming general elections.