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Big Waziristan offensive before Eid

* Govt lost hope of talks’ success, say insiders
* Pakistan will share intelligence with NATO

By Naveed Siddiqui

ISLAMABAD: The government has abandoned the hope that talks can restore peace in North Waziristan and given security forces the go-ahead to launch a major offensive on militants in the restive tribal region bordering Afghanistan ahead of Eid, which is some three days away, sources told Daily Times on Wednesday.

The deployment of military personnel in North Waziristan is under way and will continue until the launch of the offensive, the security sources said, adding that the military had sealed the Pak-Afghan border to prevent militants from crossing the porous border on the order of the Peshawar corps commander. North and South Waziristan and the frontier region of Bannu have been virtually cut off from other agencies in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, they said.

An Interior Ministry official said the government had opted for the military offensive after losing hope that dialogue with the local Taliban would succeed, and in view of continuing attacks by militants on security forces and government and civilian property over the last few months.

The security sources said the militants would now get no clemency, and they would be either crushed or flushed out of North Waziristan. “This will happen in the next few days before Eid,” they said.

The Interior Ministry official confirmed that a “Lal Masjid-like offensive” would be launched in North Waziristan in the next few days, with the aim of clearing out the militants before the Eid holidays ended.

Intelligence sharing with NATO: The security sources said that the government had appointed two liaison officers to share intelligence information with NATO officials on the presence of foreign militants in North Waziristan to prevent their escape to Afghanistan. They said tribal leaders of South and North Waziristan had helped the security forces identify the hideouts of foreign militants, mostly Uzbeks and Tajiks, holed up in the mountainous region.

Some 200 militants and 50 soldiers have been killed in fierce fighting in North Waziristan since Saturday.

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