Troops not to be thinned out from eastern borders in view of Indian threat: Addl secretary defence

ISLAMABAD:

National Assembly (NA) standing committee on SAFRON has recommended to ministry of defence for deployment of an army corps on Thal-Para Chinnar road adding troops deployed on Indo-Pak borders be curtailed and shifted to western borders if need be.

Additional Defence secretary Maj Gen Mir Haider said army could not be removed from Indo-Pak borders and deployed in Kurram agency adding "we can not even think of thinning out troops from our eastern border when India has enhanced its defence budget by 35 percent and its troops on the common borders. We can not shut our ears on the threat from Indian side looming over eastern borders.

Committee met here Friday under its chairman Sajid Hussain Toori and reviewed the law and order situation in Karram agency and the problems facing the people uprooted from Malakand division.

Giving briefing to committee additional chief secretary FATA told normalcy was returning in Karram agency after peace accord was brokered between Shia and Sunni sects in the area. Exchange of dead bodies and kidnapped persons had taken place between them. Writ of government was weak in Karram agency still. It was essential that people from both the sects be settled in their respective areas for the sake of restoration of lasting peace in the area, he told.

Commended recommended that air service from Peshawar to Karram agency be launched forthwith.

Additional defence secretary told no airline including PIA was ready to launch air service at the start from Peshawar to Karram agency. Talks were underway between government and Army welfare trust in this respect. After the talks small aircrafts of Civil Aviation would be assigned to this air service, he told.

SOURCE: http://www.onlinenews.com.pk/details.php?id=146011

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