Military offensive to continue till all extremists rooted out : Zardari

October 6th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have vowed to launch a full-scale military offensive against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in South Waziristan. Their decision comes in the wake of the recent reports claiming that the Pakistan Army is all set to launch a ground offensive in the Taliban stronghold, as it has stationed the required helicopters at bases in the area.

September 4th, 2009 RAWALPINDI - The Pakistan Army is determined chase the Taliban till the very end, and would continue its offensive against the extremists until they are rooted out from the country, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani has said. Speaking at a function after inaugurating a rehabilitation centre for young Taliban recruits, General Kayani said 'Operation Rah-e-Rast', being carried out in the Swat and the Malakand Divisions, has broken the back of extremists.

August 22nd, 2009 BEIJING - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has supported China's policies in its insurgency hit Xinjiang region. Zardari, who arrived here on Friday on a four day visit, said Islamabad endorses China's policies in the riot hit Xinjiang region, where nearly 200 people were killed in ethnic riots between Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese residents.

July 5th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that the offensive against the Taliban and other extremist groups being carried out in the Swat and Malakand Divisions would be concluded only when the region is completely sanitized. Zardari met Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani here to discuss issues relating to the security situation in the country including the ongoing campaign against Taliban in Swat, Malakand and FATA.

July 1st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari said Wednesday the military operation against the Taliban will continue till the militants are eliminated from the country. Zardari made the comments during a meeting with Prime Minster Yousaf Raza Gilani and Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani at Aiwan-e-Sadr.

June 30th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said the military offensive in the Malakand division would continue until militants are completely eliminated from the region. "Either the militants have to lay down arms, give up militancy and accept state's authority or they have to be exterminated.

June 21st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani has said that the offensive against the extremists breeding on the country's soil will continue till militancy is eliminated completely. Addressing a gathering of thousands of people at the Convention Center here on the occasion of 56th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Gilani warned the militants to lay down arms or face the consequences.

June 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's Advisor on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik has said that military offensive in Malakand and Swat Valley would continue until the last terrorist is eliminated from the region by the security forces. Speaking at a police prize distribution ceremony here, Malik claimed that militants operating in the Pakistan were being funded with arms and money from Afghanistan.

June 13th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed because she challenged the writ of the Taliban. In a television address to the nation, Zardari said Bhutto's loss has made him realize the pain of families who have been a victim of terrorism.

June 11th, 2009 LONDON - Three military posts have reportedly been attacked by the Taliban in Pakistan's South Waziristan region. At least three army personnel and over 20 extremists have been killed in the attack, which took place is the region supposedly the strong hold of Pakistan Taliban's chief Betullah Mehsud.

June 5th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said that extremism can not pose a threat to the sovereignty of the country, and claimed that the Swat offensive is fully backed by Pakistan's political fraternity. Zardari said the country's civil society and the political forces would never allow the extremists to carry on their nefarious activities to expand their writ.

May 21st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has reiterated his pledge to defeat the Taliban, saying victory against the extremists is the only option available in the in Swat and Malakand regions of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). "Defeat is no option.

May 7th, 2009 BERLIN - The military offensive against the Taliban in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan would continue for two to three weeks more, as Islamabad has said that it needed more time to flush out the extremists completely from the region. Addressing a joint press conference with his German counterpart Franz Josef Jung, Pakistan Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said Islamabad wants to root out the extremists from its soil completely.

May 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - With Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari leaving no stone unturned in assuring the United States that Islamabad is concerned by the Taliban's expanding writ and that the country's Army is pledged to flush out the extremists, top US officials have raised questions over the Pakistan military offensive. Senior Obama aides are speculative about the success of the military offensive in Pakistan, as the army is ill suited to carry out the kind of counterinsurgency operations needed to end the Taliban fighters' control of Swat, in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).

April 30th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has urged citizens of the country to support the security forces in the fight against the Taliban and other extremists groups in Buner, Maidan and the Swat regions of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The military operation against the Taliban in the Swat Valley was critical for the protection of the country's Constitution, Zardari said.