No Pak-US joint operation in North Waziristan: army

* Official says coordinated actions on Pakistan-Afghanistan border should not be mistaken for ‘joint operations’

RAWALPINDI/LAHORE: A military official on Tuesday rejected a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report about a Pakistan-US agreement for a joint operation in North Waziristan.

Coordinated actions on respective sides of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, being part of routine, should not be mistaken for "joint operations", the official said.

He further stated that targeted action in operation "Tight Screw" by Pakistan Army against terrorists in the North Waziristan was an ongoing process. This was being undertaken for some months now to squeeze terrorists and there was no new operation as claimed in the report, he added.

When, where and how to carry out operations within our territory is up to Pakistan alone to decide, the official concluded.

The WSJ had reported that “the US and Pakistani officials are considering joint counterterrorism campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan, say officials familiar with the proposals, in what would mark an upturn in cooperation after more than a year of rancorous relations”.

“The proposed campaigns would target the Haqqani network, which has mounted several attacks on US soldiers, as well as Taliban who have launched attacks on Pakistan, the officials said. The campaigns would be intended to help stamp out major security threats facing each country, targeting what the US says are sanctuaries for the Haqqani network in Pakistan, and what Pakistan says are sanctuaries for the Pakistani Taliban in Afghanistan,” the journal had reported. daily times monitor/app

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