Pak Army neglected situation in FATA

The Pakistani administration was so much involved with President General Pervez Musharrafs re-election bid that it did not pay the required attention to the security situation in the tribal areas of the country, resulting in the death of over 250 soldiers in the last two months.

Islamabad, Oct 10 : The Pakistani administration was so much involved with President General Pervez Musharraf's re-election bid that it did not pay the required attention to the security situation in the tribal areas of the country, resulting in the death of over 250 soldiers in the last two months.

"The whole system of government is in jeopardy and the people are confused," the New York Times quoted a retired brigadier, Mehmood Shah, as saying.

Shah, who served as secretary of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) until 2005, added, "The government is absolutely paralysed and it will take some time for them to turn the tables."

The upheaval underscores complaints by a range of officials that the government has been so absorbed in securing the re-election of Musharraf as president that it allowed the security threat to go unchecked, the daily reported.The fierce clashes between pro-Taliban militants and the security forces have led to a huge toll in both sides, and in the past few days Pakistani air force bombed parts of North Waziristan, where local pro-Taliban militants and members of al Qaeda have carved out a stronghold for themselves since 2001.

ANI