Date of SWA offensive in 2 days: Malik

KHALID AZIZ and JAVAID-UR-RAHMAN
ISLAMABAD- Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik, Friday said that the government was going to take a
decision on the military operation in South Waziristan within next couple of days, as terrorists involved in the
current wave of suicide blasts had links with the banned TTP leaders of the Agency.
He was responding to a point of order raised in the Upper House by Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel soon after
the occurrence of a suicide car bomb blast in Peshawar. Haji Adeel stressed the federal government to carry out
decisive operation in the tribal areas adjacent to Peshawar to protect the provincial capital from the terrorist
activities.
Rehman Malik said that terrorists were on the run after successful operation in Malakand Division and were
trying to regroup in North and South Waziristan agencies. However, he said, government was fully resolved to
eliminate terrorism and the nation would see a major change in a few weeks.
He feared more suicide blasts in coming days based on the information obtained from over 2000 terrorists
captured by the law enforcing agencies including Muslim Khan and other key Taliban leaders. He said the
arrested terrorists informed that banned military outfit Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had planned to carry out
series of suicide blasts after Eid to pressurise the government, following successful actions against the militants.
Malik said that Pakistans enemies were providing terrorists with modern arms, adding that no individual only
states could purchase the arms and ammunitions recovered from terrorists at various places. He said people
were demanding military action against the terrorists and government would surely take action. He assured the
terrorists would be flushed out in a few months.
Earlier, while responding to another point of order, the Minister said that he had conveyed to foreign missions in
the country that no diplomat would be allowed to carry or display arms or use duplicate number plates.
Later, talking to media, Rehman Malik said that countrys law enforcement agencies had arrested the main
handler of suicide attack on World Food Programme (WFP) office in Islamabad.
We have arrested main handler of recent suicide attack in WFP office, he said and added that law
enforcement agencies had also information about the links of the terrorists involved in such criminal activity. We
have also identified the vehicle used in the recent attack, he added.
To a question about the names of the terrorists involved in recent attack and their links, the minister refused to
unveil complete information in that regard. He added law enforcement agencies had arrested 58 terrorists from
Islamabad.
When asked about operation in South Waziristan Agency, he said that operation in SWA was on cards following
the public demands and its date would be made public in a couple of days. Taliban are present in FATA so the
operation is imminent, he further said, adding four Jirgas had called on government officials in that regard and
had asked for launching operation there.
To a question about internal security situation of the country, the minister said that situation had much improved
since after change of the government.