Pak Tribune : Operation against Lal Masjid not a matter of victory or defeat: Musharraf

Operation against Lal Masjid not a matter of victory or defeat: Musharraf
Pak Armed forces guarantors of peace in the region: Musharraf

Saturday July 14, 2007 (2225 PST)

ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf has eulogized the troops who took part in Lal Masjid Operation and appreciated the professionalism with which they conducted the operation, succeeding in saving the lives of innocent’s students of Lal Mosque and Jamia Hafsa.

He made these remarks while addressing officers and troops who took part in Lal Masjid Operation here in Convention Centre on Saturday.

The President said that this is not a matter of victory or defeat. The elements present in the Mosque and Madrassah were misinterpreting Islam for their own benefit and were misleading the people by creating chaos in their minds.

Pakistan is an Islamic country where people practice and enjoy their lives according to the true practices of Islam but there are few who are exploiting the social evils in the name of Islam which is wrong practice.

The President said that the government took every possible step to solve the matter in a peaceful manner by holding talks wit the administration of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa but every such effort was disregarded by them and it become inevitable for the government to take action against the militants present in the premises of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa.

The President expressed his grief over the tragic loss of lives and said that although it is a matter of sorrow for all of us but he appreciates the courage of the troops who risked their lives for evacuating the innocent students of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa, as it was the policy of the government that maximum number of lives be saved while keeping any losses to minimum, bestowing praises and high appreciation for the deserving officers and troops of the forces for their bravery and courage.

Federal Minister for Information Muhammad Ali Durrani, Federal Minister for Interior Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Federal Minister for Religious Affair Ejaz-ul-Haq, Federal Minister for Women Development Sumiara Malik, Vice Chief of the Army Staff General Ahsan Saleem Hayat, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Tariq Azeem Khan, Minister of State for Interior Zafar Iqbal Warraich and troops of the armed forces, Pakistan Rangers, Police and all other concerned officials were also present on this occasion.

Moreover, President General Pervez Musharraf has said that the Armed Forces of Pakistan especially the nuclear forces were the guarantors of peace in the region, as validated in the exercise “Flash Point”.

President made these remarks while addressing at the concluding session of exercise Flash Point Saturday at National Defence University. President emphasized on the importance of a strong economy, our relevance to the International community and a cohesive inner front if we were to emerge as a strong modern Muslim state.

He said that Pakistan was a responsible nuclear power that believed in deterring war and promoting peace.

The concluding session of the Exercise was also attended by the Prime Minister, Mr. Shaukat Aziz, the Defence Minister, Rao Sikandar Iqbal, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Ehsan Ul Haq, the services chiefs and senior officer of the three services.

Earlier the President was briefed about the aim scope and conduct of the Exercise which has validated the development and employment strategies of Pakistan’s conventional as well as strategic forces. The Exercise reassured the participants as well as the observers about the credibility of minimum nuclear deterrence even against a limited conventional were across international borders. This also confirmed Pakistan’s policy of avoiding an arms race.

The conclusions drawn from the exercise will be used for refining the concepts, doctrines, organizations, and training of the three services to fight under the visualized set of environment.