Senate Committee to visit North Waziristan on invitation of Military Chief

Accepting the invitation of Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, Senate Standing Committee on Defence decided to visit troops at the front line in militancy-hit tribal region of the country.

According to the media reports, the invitation appeared on the heels of a heated political debate on whether the military should undertake another offensive in the North Waziristan.

Although the army has said that it would be the call of the government to launch a military offensive but the government has insisted that an operation would be a joint decision between the military and the civilian administration.

However, the opposition has opposed another military offensive, questioning the efficacy of another attack.
The parliamentary panel headed by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, was invited by Gen. Kayani when he met members in Risalpur following a passing-out parade of Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

According to an official handout, the committee chairman accepted the invitation and decided to visit troops at the front line in November.

It is vital to mention here that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan led a peace-march to South Waziristan but authorities stopped him from entering the troubled area, citing security concerns.

The visit by the Senate committee will be the first time the military allows a group of parliamentarians to visit the area.

Senator Sayed while speaking to the media said that the committee will visit the Air Headquarters in November and then the GHQ in December this year.

The chairman is said to have assured Gen. Kayani that the committee would act as a bridge between the army and other quarters.

“The committee would also be the first line of Defence to protect and promote the professional role of the armed forces as an institution,” he told the army chief.

Senator Mushahid observed that the Committee is reassured that the Defence of the Country is in safe hands given the quality of professional training.

He further said that people take pride in the Armed Forces and fully support the constitutional and professional role of the Armed Forces in defending the motherland.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Oct 25 2012. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.