Fissures appear in Pak leadership over combating Taliban

Pak PM Yousuf Raza Gilani's view of not trying to attack Waziristan appeared to be in contrast of what Pak Prez Zardari thinks.

Pakistan Army has no plans to launch military operations against Taliban in Waziristan or any other part of the restive tribal belt in NWFP,Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said on Saturday,indicating fissures in the country’s top leadership on the issue.

“We are not planning to launch military operation in any other part of the country including Waziristan,” Gilani told journalists in Lahore,in remarks which run contrary to the recent statement of President Asif Ali Zardari that Islamabad was ready to attack Taliban forces in Waziristan.

Waziristan,which falls in the lawless tribal belt is suspected by the US and NATO alliance to be the hiding place of world’s most wanted terrorist al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden,most of the top Taliban commanders as well as Tajik,Uzbek and Arab fighters.

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US drones have hit the region for maximum number of times in the last two years killing dozens of Taliban and foreign militants.

President Zardari had told the Sunday Times in an interview in London on May 17 that “Pakistan is going to go into Waziristan,all these regions,with military operation. Swat is just the start.”

“The impression that we are ready to extend military operation against Taliban in other areas is absolutely wrong. We are not fools. We will certainly act swiftly wherever such an action is required in the future,” Gilani said.

The prime minister said the operation in Swat and Malakand division was “well-planned” and it had the backing of the nation and the world. He said the operation would succeed.

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Terming this weeks donor conference ‘a success’ he said the world had pledged millions of dollars for the help of internally displaced persons.

He said the IDPs were not stopped from entering into Sindh rather they were being registered to provide them with monetary help.

Gilani said the US was reviewing its policy of drone attacks into Waziristan and other troubled areas as it was not benefiting the war on terror. “Taliban are getting sympathies from such attacks,” he added.

To a question that from where Taliban are getting financial support and ammunition,Gilani said they were generating money from “poppy-growing areas.”

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Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistan wanted peace with its neighbouring countries.