Ex-servicemen announces full support to Army operation in Punjab

Lahore: The Pakistan Ex-servicemen Association (PESA) on Wednesday announced full support for the anti-terrorist operation launched by Army in Punjab after Lahore carnage

It lauded the initial success in nabbing a number of militants and their facilitators in the widespread operation across Punjab terming it a right decision at a right time.

Terrorists do not confine to provincial boundaries therefore operation should be extended to cover entire country and Rangers’ operation at Karachi be also incorporated within it, it said.

This was observed in an urgent meeting of executive council of PESA with its President Ali Kuli Khan in chair. Vice Admiral Ahmad Tasnim, Air Marshal Masood Akhtar, Lt Gen Naeem Akbar, Brig Mian Mahmud, Brig Masud ul Hassan and Brig Simon Sharaf were also present. Colonel Sajjad and Col. Mumtaz from PESS also attended the meeting.

Meeting expressed deep sorrow and offered prayers for the people who lost their lives in Lahore blast. Civilian intelligence agencies have not yet been able to break into the terrorists’ network to keep pace with operation Zarb-e-Azb which can nullify all success and sacrifices of the troops and leaving nation will at the mercy of terrorists.

The military intelligence agencies were appreciated to have arrested a senior agent of Indian intelligence agency RAW who has been heading its anti-Pakistan efforts in Balochistan, they said.

There have been reports since long about Indian involvement with separatist elements of Balochistan but this is the first case of getting solid evidence against India’s anti Pakistan activities, they added.

The former military leaders said that continued silence of some top political figures on the issue of Indian operator is very surprising.

Instead of cancelling his visit to USA for the summit conference, our Prime Minister should have availed of this opportunity to confront Indian Prime Minister with solid evidence and also taken other leaders in to confidence, they said.

Exposure of Indian enmity towards Pakistan at the summit would have strengthened our case regarding nuclear tactical weapons.

The meeting also took stock of newspaper reports that the Bangladesh was planning to start in absentia, so-called war crimes trials of 195 Pakistan Army officers, linked to the events of 1971.

These are the same officers who were isolated from the other prisoners of war by Indian authorities for trials on alleged war crimes, however, they could not make any headway as no evidence of war crimes under Geneva Conventions could be found.

It may be correct that those officers were released under Shimla Agreement but it is also a fact that India would not have hesitated to malign Pakistan Army by publicizing the charges and evidence.

If the Government of Bangladesh wants to go back into history of events that took place about half century ago and conduct trial on false charges, not only in absentia but, in most cases, post humus, then it should better start with Lord Clive for what he did after the Battle of Plassey in 1857.