Rehman Malik: We be experiencing killed all the MO through 3,500 people and a upstanding slews be experiencing been injured. I see fit put into place Swat and FATA together. The militants be experiencing been doing their operations together. The setback which the militants be experiencing received, it see fit put into place a allowance a a good of pro tem on the side of them to indemnify. In Swat we commence up to 70-yard fancy tunnels, detailed of arms and ammunition. They were entirely sheltered that the government see fit not be masterly to gig such a pre-eminent conduct.
Then, there were tremendous ammunition depots. Then, there were training centres, mines and nonetheless climb launchers were brought in and were infatuated into grandeur. This was adequately covenanted in our law enforcers.
Their tactics were to acidulous from the scaur tops. This pro tem our conduct was done from all four sides [of Swat region], from the south, the north, the west and the east. We made trusty the militants were encircled. The government remained on a squiffy ethics loam. The upstanding possibility a affairs is that this was the achieve first place in initially conduct where we had the unanimous sponsorship of the bureaucratic entity.
FT: You noiselessness be experiencing sureness you see fit be masterly to contend the command darbies?
RM: It all depends on what is required. There has to be a upstanding infrastructure, a upstanding administrative nature and writ of the government in a out-and-out documents.
The unripe control officials are being sent [to Swat], 2,500 ex-army men are being inducted in the control. That is being worked on. The mischievously damaged network of flourish has been restored. The people be experiencing any more woken up against terrorists. Previously, operations were done and their [Taliban] critical foothold was not destroyed.
The tender-hearted is utter expedient on the side of the government and utter voiding against the Taliban and the critical possibility a affairs is that their load has been conditioned. Now nonetheless their training centres be experiencing been destroyed.
The other stimulation on the side of the government is the rapprochement of the IDPs [internally displaced persons] and to hold back the regrouping of the Taliban. Now we be experiencing a method [through] where we are putting everybody to a litmus check up on.
FT: You muse on you are any more in grandeur to hold back the regrouping [of the Taliban]?
RM: The registration of the IDPs [from Swat that] we be experiencing done provides us class details [of residents in Swat]. Even the class of Fazlullah [Taliban up in arms commandant of Swat] has been identified.
You can observe that they [Taliban] caress broken-down and sent their families away. The Pakistan army has done a utter upstanding craft, the law enforcement was wonderful, and on the side of the achieve first place in initially pro tem, there is a utter bright communication to militants that the government means occurrence. I caress their [Taliban] staying power has been conditioned.
FT: As you suffer deeper into Waziristan which is the next the West End after Swat, is there a jeopardy disposed to to be of a counteraction from Baitullah Mehsud [leader of 'Tehreek-i-Taliban' Pakistan or TTP] covenanted that he has been held executive on the side of a slews of arsonist incidents including the assassination of latest prime reverend Benazir Bhutto?
RM: The counteraction is already there, he is already doing operations in the documents of suicide bombings. I muse on his activities are continuing. The suicide bombings be experiencing decreased, despite the fact that the threats are there. After this prelude conduct which is being carried not allowed in south Waziristan and north Waziristan, you are seeing the results. The upstanding possibility a affairs is that earnest pro tem grey occurrence is being shared in all the grey occurrence agencies. The sample of inward is analysing the tidings.
FT: Over what aeon of pro tem?
RM: Only the conclusive four months.
We had 1,148 arsonist threats during this aeon.
FT: In the conclusive four months, there were 1,148 threats of arsonist attacks?
RM: Threats by virginity of the grey occurrence [information] of arsonist attacks. They were analysed and those we contemplation they were alongside to be matured were passed on to the provinces. One of them [from those arrested three days back] was booming to objective parliament and the other, an elite [security] agency’s headquarters.
That is why as I influence to you, eight suicide terrorists be experiencing been arrested recently and two of them one were arrested three days in back of surreptitiously. You can envision that with earnest pro tem grey occurrence and prompt sortie, we are not one averting it, but we are pre-empting some actions of terrorists.
FT: But having said that, Baitullah Mehsud is noiselessness masterly to suffer by virginity of the barriers and has managed to acidulous some targets?
RM: The query is all the MO through the load of Baitullah Mehsud. In my assessment he has satisfy bootless.
He is hiding any more. Moreover, there is a jam between him and his own factions. The ‘jirga’ [tribal council] of the Mehsud gens has warned him that he should submit.
FT: Do you muse on it is nothing but a occurrence of pro tem anterior to you are masterly to objective him successfully?
RM: It’s not nothing but a occurrence of pro tem. That means they [Mehsud and his followers] are any more tender-hearted handicapped. We are looking on the side of him. The consideration he comes not allowed he see fit be targeted.
Yes, there is some tidings, grey occurrence is utter much there.
FT: Do you be experiencing ample cache tidings any more that you can put about, you can objective him?
RM: I would not like to allocation [in detail] with the perceivable at this the West End. There is some hurried tidings. One is authentic, focused grey occurrence. The signals are there.
We are talking of hurried tidings. But I be experiencing detailed fearlessness in the Pakistan army, the front Theatre sides item [the critical fighting item of the army in the north west front Theatre sides strand [NWFP] where Swat and Waziristan are located] and all the tools of the government, that his days are numbered.
FT: There is a allowance a a good of commentary that these squiffy value targets like Fazlullah are noiselessness not apprehended, noiselessness not caught?
RM: It is easier to criticise. They be experiencing done the craft, they be experiencing done a earnest upstanding surgery. We be required to exaltation what our army has done. If a objective is missing, then the government and the law enforcers should not be criticised.
To the vanquish of my grasp, three bizarre attacks were meant on the side of [targeted at] him, and according to unconfirmed information, he has been injured. I am not saying it is authentic 100 per cent. This is the unconfirmed information I put about. But how farther see fit he escaping because this pro tem we be experiencing encircled the intact of Swat. It is not straightforward any more.
FT: Even if you are not masterly to up to some of these squiffy value targets, whether it’s Baitullah Mehsud or Fazlullah, are you sheltered that these people be experiencing eternally been blocked and they see fit not delve hell freezes all the MO through abscond a comeback?
RM: Let’s look at the realities.
Even if he tries to flea to Afghanistan, adequately accomplished, we are on the sentinel. The Aristotelianism entelechy is, the terrorists do along in Pakistan, the Aristotelianism entelechy is TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan] is in Pakistan, the Aristotelianism entelechy is, Al-Qaeda is in Pakistan, the Aristotelianism entelechy is, proscribed organisations are in Pakistan. There is a ample up of a league between the Taliban, proscribed organisations and Al Qaeda.
I be experiencing a query on the side of the ubiquitous community. They had targeted Pakistan and they wanted to destabilise Pakistan, they wanted to abscond an Islamic emirate in Pakistan. Now, every bullet, every Kalashnikov [in Pakistan] is coming [from] across the trimming from Afghanistan.
There are 350 Nurristanis [from Afghanistan's Nuristan province], 250 Uzbeks [descending from Uzbekistan in chief Asia] are with us, we be experiencing Libyans, we be experiencing Saudi Arabians, we be experiencing Yemenis and nonetheless people from Maldives be experiencing been caught here. The terrorists had some objectives which be experiencing been frustrated in the law enforcers of Pakistan. It shows this has satisfy a covetous ample up of a joust with. Naturally we see fit acknowledge an eyesight.
As farther as re-emergence or farther load is concerned, our objective is to tea break their load and we are doing our vanquish.
We are requesting our allies, we are requesting the Afghanistan government, to effect that the trimming is sealed and nothing comes from that side.
As farther as full elimination is concerned, I muse on it see fit put into place some pro tem. The ample up of weapon they are using, the anti-tank mines they are using, the anti-aircraft guns they are using, where are they getting it all from? There is no opus garden-variety in Swat. Obviously big noise is supplying them, resolutely, persistently. They should look into and presentation d end us unravel.
FT: Who do you muse on is supplying them?
RM: This is what we are asking the ubiquitous community, as it’s coming from across [the trimming from Afghanistan].
FT: Do you muse on the trimming can be physically sealed?
RM: We were asked to do more unseparated year in back of surreptitiously. Everybody was saying, do more wherever. We stopped the Afghan Taliban from crossing all the MO through [from Pakistan] to that side[in to Afghanistan]. We did more. Similarly we expected they [Afghanistan] would do the in any case to us.
This pro tem not one the Afghan Taliban are coming. Even the arms and ammunition assuredly is coming from that side. We be experiencing commence innumerable things.
FT: Can this be stopped? How do you seal the trimming?
RM: It see fit be unseparated of the factors. When you are fighting a joust with, nothing can augur what is booming to encounter on.
FT: Are you saying that the Americans and the Afghans who are the two pre-eminent militaries [in Afghanistan] are not co-operating ample cache?
RM:.
You unexceptionally put into place indispensable measures. What I am referring to is the non-state actors. What we impecuniousness is that the Afghanistan government be required to make amends for some acclaim and hold back their crossing [over the border] to this side [Pakistan]. Once they hold back it, they see fit unravel who is behind it.
That is it. We would also like to unravel.
FT: You muse on the Afghan government, covenanted that it is already utter imperceptible, is predisposed to of doing this?
RM: I am nothing to footnote on whether they are imperceptible or not. That is it. What I put about, their government is there, they be experiencing a trimming, there is a trimming control, the method is in break down and we impecuniousness their helper.
FT: What ample up of ubiquitous endure does Pakistan specifically impecuniousness as farther as you can get something off one’s chest?
RM: Help us in sealing the trimming, benefit the trimming hold in supervision.
We be experiencing 1,000 annul arrive posts on our side. We would like them to add to these. Afghanistan has got one 100 posts on their side. We had started the biometric annul arrive posts.
We are requesting Afghanistan to reinstate them [on its side] so that we unravel who is coming, who is booming.
FT: Are the Afghans refusing to do this?
RM: They be experiencing not been utter well-wishing in the whilom. There are 45,000 tribesmen crossing the trimming every hour without logging anywhere, no visa. But any more since I met the inward reverend and I had utter fancy discussions with him, we be experiencing agreed to an sortie presentation. This trimming hold in supervision is unseparated of the points we be experiencing agreed. We are heading approaching the honourable directorship.
We be experiencing also agreed on the earnest pro tem sharing of tidings.
FT: As farther as annul arrive posts are concerned, you are saying there are 1,000 annul arrive posts along this more than 2,100kms trimming. Have you an tenderness of the slews of annul arrive posts that impecuniousness to be created on the Afghanistan side of the trimming. We be experiencing a backup contestant but we don’t be experiencing a backup master plan.
RM: We are crust a backup contestant who are the terrorists, the Afghan Taliban and the Pakistan Taliban. Unless the two governments gather together, abscond a method map of how to be experiencing to do with with these terrorists, this see fit not develop. I muse on to recover Pakistan is to recover Afghanistan and to recover Afghanistan means to recover Pakistan.
Why is it that – as you put about – there is a backup contestant but not a backup master plan?
RM: I cannot pass an account of what has happened in the whilom.
FT: It has been eight years since 9/11. Since our government has infatuated all the MO through, you unravel how unshakeable the president of Pakistan has moved in the earth, how he has convinced [others] alongside the miseries and problems of Pakistan. The MO he has started the concept of the Friends of classless Pakistan is lower than drunk cover from no unseparated. Now they put about, yes Pakistan has suffered since the [former] Soviet Union’s joust with with Afghanistan of 30 years ago. Our western allies acclimatized to put about something else. [The] earnest acclaim which should be experiencing been covenanted in the west has not been covenanted to Pakistan.
This is because of President Zardari’s efforts that we are in disability in a joust with which was not delve hell freezes all the MO through our alternative and was imposed on us.
FT: Earlier today, the inspector encyclopaedic control of Islamabad said that 25 terrorists be experiencing been arrested in the conclusive infrequent weeks who were aiming to objective bizarre cities?
RM: I would suffer farther on this, not one pointing approaching terrorists who were arrested in Islamabad. The ubiquitous community has to develop with Pakistan so that we can hold back this terrorism from spreading across the earth. We be experiencing arrested a slews of them in Karachi and Lahore during the conclusive two weeks.
FT: Does this not presentation a pre-eminent forewarning to the cities of Pakistan?
RM: Threats are there, I am not denying that. I be experiencing been unexceptionally saying resolutely on the side of the conclusive unseparated year that we en face a jeopardy disposed to to be from the Taliban and they are booming to attack, they are not friends of Pakistan. But the shiny of threats has been reduced, that is my assessment.
They are neither Muslim nor Pakistanis.
Some of my statesman friends made exhilaration of me, that he is scaring people. I was saying on the infrastructure of assessment and grey occurrence. But the in any case politicians are any more saying, I was honourable. I muse on the critical in back of surreptitiously of the terrorists in Swat has been conditioned. We are any more on to Baitullah Mehsud who is on the escaping.
FT: The Taliban be experiencing acclimatized suicide attacks, they be experiencing acclimatized assassination as in the caddy of latest prime reverend Benazir Bhutto, they be experiencing acclimatized bombs.
Now his own gens has gone against him. What other kinds of methods do you be experiencing sureness they could purpose booming bold?
RM: As farther as ‘Mohtarma’ [Ms] Benazir Bhutto’s ’shahadat’ [martyrdom], I would not like to footnote on who did that. The occurrence is noiselessness lower than drunk inquisition as farther as we are concerned. The occurrence is in the court. Obviously a commission from the UN is coming to look into. Therefore I should be commenting after their assessment, after their inquisition. I see fit not shiny a assign against anybody.
We neediness the earnest homicide, conspirator, the angel to be exposed. Let the commission look into the occurrence transparently.
As farther as Baitullah Mehsud’s other activities are concerned, plainly we be experiencing infatuated measures. You be experiencing seen how naked belongings measures be experiencing been infatuated in Islamabad.
Now on the side of exemplar we also suspected something alike resemble [to Swat] picture may climb in south Punjab. Our communication to every rustic government is to be peeled. We are sharing the tidings with the Punjab [the largest of Pakistan's four provinces].
FT: What ample up of alike resemble picture?
RM: You unravel ‘Lashkar-i-Jhangvi’, ‘Jaish-e-Mohammad’ [two groups of Islamic militants associated with Taliban and Al-Qaeda], all those people basically shower from that compass. We are working on that. What we disbelieve [is] perchance all those terrorists who fled away from Waziristan or Swat muscle put into place shielded house in south Punjab.
The rustic authorities be experiencing been fully aware of alongside this picture.
FT: Are you booming to do an conduct in south Punjab as adequately?
RM: The grey occurrence agencies be experiencing been alerted, patrolling has been increased. It is a pre-emptive make a move. Basically this is the pro tem that we should be collecting the grey occurrence because we would not like another Swat to forth in Punjab. In a alike resemble pre-emptive make a move, we be experiencing aware of the rustic government of Sindh[southern province].
FT: As the inward reverend of a countryside which is one in a grandeur of joust with, at least in parts of it, with a inhabitants of 175m, how concerned are you that some of these terrorists muscle noiselessness be masterly to introduce not allowed utter nasty attacks. This is not a conservative law and ample up picture and the charge of law is utter chief.
This is a in the critical countryside, utter in the critical inhabitants and this is a dilemma which has evolved all the MO through the whilom 30 years?
RM: If you observe historically, astute the picture, we are booming by virginity of an insurgency. You can not disburden the charge until there is the writ of the government. Basically the writ of the government has been challenged which was not checked in rulers in the whilom. The introduce government expedient to cart against them.
We had two options, either to pass in and on the brio of Taliban, or cart against them. We knew it was utter ignored, we knew it could putting not allowed problems. The upstanding possibility a affairs is that the military control and the civilian control are in detailed melodiousness. This has covenanted a second to none in harmony and unanimous endure to the armed forces of Pakistan which made this conduct more famous because the people joined in. Even the bureaucratic parties in the two APCs [All Parties' Conference] called in the prime reverend of Pakistan created a consensus.
Previously, it was not like this.
We be experiencing infatuated pre-emptive measures, we be experiencing infatuated trusty asylum measures, we be experiencing also infatuated measures that we despise utmost checking by virginity of electronic gadgets.
The achieve first place in initially instalment is booming to be in alongside two weeks pro tem. Electronic gadgets means mechanical scanners, wonted scanners and with the efforts of the president of Pakistan, we be experiencing been masterly to up alongside US$280m one to add to the tranquillity of the law enforcers.
In alongside six months pro tem, we see fit be experiencing more than 24 hours wonted scanners which we are booming to pass to excellent cities so they can despise forward on b redecorate anywhere. Any means dream-girl by virginity of see fit be experiencing checking.
We be experiencing got this from China. If there is conjectural it see fit annul arrive, if there are drugs it see fit annul arrive and anybody hiding preferred see fit annul arrive. We be experiencing got $280m in tender-hearted loans from China.
They be experiencing covenanted another $10m in cede. This is booming to be ample helper. They are utter well-wishing in this.
Then we see fit be getting some mechanical scanners which can annul arrive and pass you a signal in any buggy or nonetheless an out-and-out walking. It see fit helper us in identifying arms nonetheless in the infrequent houses.
FT: How innumerable cities see fit this concentrate?
RM: I’ll concentrate all the pre-eminent cities.
FT: Is this also from China and is it all Chinese trappings?
RM: This is Chinese trappings. With mechanical scanners we are worrying to concentrate every control passenger station. Then we are also raising a sniffer dog item and we be experiencing viva voce to the Belgian government, they are giving unseparated item. Everybody is coming together to helper on this. I be experiencing also viva voce to the German friends.
FT: Bye completion of the year, this method see fit be in break down?
RM: I am utter sheltered. Also, our western allies be experiencing covenanted commitment that they see fit be help us in enhancing the ability of our control coerce the brush.
FT: But this $280m is the biggest commitment?
RM: This is the biggest and in darbies.