Pak “may be biting off too much” in launching Waziristan offensive without sealing Swat

October 13th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The deadly suicide attack that shook a Swat market killing 41, has nullified the Pakistan Government's repeated claims of it having cleared the Swat Valley of Taliban insurgents. The Shangla district market bombing was the fourth major attack in Swat this week, and came two days after a stunning attack on the armed forces' headquarters in Rawalpindi, which killed 23.

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.

October 4th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The United Nations has revised the assistance for the internally displaced persons (IDPs), who left their homes due to a military operation in Swat and Malakand, by over a million. "The assistance level is above our earlier estimates.

October 3rd, 2009 PESHAWAR - Most FATA parliamentarians are against the prospect of the Pakistan Army launching an offensive against the Taliban in South Waziristan area. Fifteen of the 20 members of parliament from FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) have said that they have withdrawn support from the government because they were not taken into confidence about the offensive.

September 28th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that Islamabad is yet to decide whether it should launch a full-scale military operation in Waziristan to clear Taliban militants from the tribal areas. He, however, said that Pakistan would take necessary action to flush out the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), "the front face of al Qaeda." "Let's not forget, it's not only the TTP which is operating there.

August 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistani Army has said that it would require months to prepare for a ground offensive against the Taliban in their South Waziristan stronghold on the Afghan border. Lieutenant-General Nadeem Ahmed, Commander of the 1 Strike Corps in Mangla in Pakistan Kashmir, said this while reacting to comments made by visiting US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke.

July 28th, 2009 LONDON - The Pakistan government has entered into 'secret negotiations' with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud, which is the prime reason why Islamabad has refrained from launching an all out operation in South Waziristan, a leading British daily reports. A report in The Telegraph said that the government has delayed the ground assault against Mehsud due to secret negotiations between him and security forces.

July 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The United States may ask Pakistan to initiate a full-fledged military operation in South Waziristan targeting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Baitullah Mehsud during the US Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke's visit to the country. Holbrooke, who arrived here on Tuesday on a three-day visit, may demand more commitment from Pakistan in South Waziristan, diplomatic sources said.

June 27th, 2009 LAHORE - Governments in Pakistan's Punjab and Sindh provinces have been placed on terror alert amid fears that the Taliban could take refuge in the southern part of the country after fleeing from Waziristan and Swat. Interior Minister Rehman Malik disclosed that his department had recorded 1,148 terrorist threats during last four months.

June 21st, 2009 PESHAWAR - As the Pakistan Army intensified its offensive against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud in South Waziristan, some highly placed sources have revealed that the warlord along with his top commander, Maulana Fazalullah, has shifted base to Mirali region of North Waziristan. According to sources, Mehsud and Fazalullah both were hiding in South Waziristan, but sneaked into North Waziristan soon after the government announced an all out operation against them.

June 20th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - With the Pakistan government announcing a Swat like military offensive in South Waziristan with a primary motive to hunt down the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud, the NATO forces deployed in Afghanistan are also ready to extend help. The allied forces stationed in Afghanistan will likely extend help in Pakistan's military offensive, by sharing important intelligence inputs in order to prevent a probable spill-over of the militants, The Nation reports.

June 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Army has reportedly claimed back some of the major strongholds of the Taliban, as it continued to pound the hideouts of the insurgents in Swat and Malakand. Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's Advisor on Interior Affairs, Rehman Malik said that the security forces have destroyed the Taliban's camps in several areas.

June 16th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Government's decision to launch an operation in Waziristan to catch Baitullah Mehsud could provide the Taliban the fillip to regroup in Malakand, warned former interior minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao. "Complete success in Malakand would demoralised Taliban ahead of fresh operation in Waziristan.

June 16th, 2009 LAHORE - The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has expressed concern over the government going ahead with the 'Get Betullah' mission in Waziristan, without taking the party leadership into confidence. According to The Nation, the PML(N) leadership thinks that it would have been better if the Swat, Malakand operations had been completed first and the Internally Displaced People had been rehabilitated.

June 12th, 2009 PESHAWAR - The North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Information Minister, Iftikhar Hussain, has held the Waziristan Taliban responsible for Tuesday's suicide bomb attack on the Pearl Continental Hotel here. "Whatever happens in Peshawar comes from Waziristan.