Army supports Governments peace initiatives in tribal areas: Masood

Pakistan Corps Commander Peshawar Lt-Gen Masood Aslam has said that Army fully supports Governments peace initiatives in the tribal areas and seeks its direction for the resolution of the issues in the conflict-hit areas.Talking to reporters at the screening of a documentary Sipahi Maqbool Hussain at the Garrison Auditorium here, he said, The Army is a part of the government and is fully on board in the peace process now under way in the tribal areas and Swat.

Peshawar, May 18 : Pakistan Corps Commander Peshawar Lt-Gen Masood Aslam has said that Army fully supports Government's peace initiatives in the tribal areas and seeks its direction for the resolution of the issues in the conflict-hit areas.Talking to reporters at the screening of a documentary 'Sipahi Maqbool Hussain' at the Garrison Auditorium here, he said, "The Army is a part of the government and is fully on board in the peace process now under way in the tribal areas and Swat."

Masood downplayed a statement by the military commander for Swat Maj-Gen Nasser Janjua in which he said militant cleric Maulana Fazlullah would have to lay down arms and face trial adding that it would be up to the government to decide how to deal with someone who had committed acts in violation of law.

He recalled that the Army was called in by the then government in the North West Frontier Province to be deployed in Swat due to the deteriorating law and order situation."We will withdraw the troops from Swat once the government decides the situation has sufficiently improved and there is no further need to remain there," the News Quoted him, as saying.

While addressing a ceremony at the FC Camp Kanju after distributing the first instalment of Rs 1 billion uplift package for the Swat area among the local contractors of the respective union councils, he said that the deployment of the Army in Swat District was aimed at restoring peace rather than conquering the picturesque valley.

Masood said the basic duty of the Army was to guard the borders of the country, saying the Army had always been deployed in areas where other law enforcement agencies failed to establish the writ of the government.

ANI