WSJ : Pakistan Army Masses For Assault on Militants

Pakistan Army Masses For Assault on Militants

Top U.S. Diplomat Tells Gen. Musharraf To Lift Emergency Rule

By ZAHID HUSSAIN and FASIH AHMED | November 17, 2007

ISLAMABAD -- Two weeks into Pakistan's emergency rule, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf is intensifying his campaign against what he perceives as dual threats to his government: the free-flow of information and a growing Islamic insurgency. And he doesn't appear to have been persuaded to alter course during a two-hour visit from a senior U.S. diplomat.

A high-ranking Pakistani military official said at a briefing some 15,000 Pakistani army troops were pushing back against Islamist fighters who have made progress in recent weeks securing new territory.

"The troops are ready for a major offensive against the militants," said Major General Shuja Pasha.

Earlier Saturday, two Pakistani news channels that had held out against pressure from the government to operate under new, stricter broadcasting guidelines were taken off air.

Both channels, Geo News and ARY One World, had been broadcasting since the emergency from Dubai via satellite, making them available to viewers in Pakistan and abroad. But the government of the United Arab Emirates shut down their transmissions.

Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte delivered a blunt message to Gen. Musharraf during a visit, telling him that emergency rule must be lifted and his opponents freed ahead of elections.

"I urged the government to stop such actions, lift the state of emergency and release all political detainees," he told a news conference Sunday at the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy at the end of his visit with Gen. Musharraf. "Emergency rule is not compatible with free, fair and credible elections."

The Associated Press reported that Mr. Negroponte met for more than two hours with Gen. Musharraf and Pakistan's deputy army commander, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, according to an official in the president's office.

Gen. Musharraf imposed the state of emergency Nov. 3 citing the deteriorating security situation in the South Asian nation. Since then, however, many of the public signs of the new regime have centered on locking up opposition politicians and lawyers who demonstrated against the measures. As part of its clampdown, the government also imposed a blackout on all local and foreign cable news channels.

Last week, reeling from losses, many private news channels agreed to abide by the government's new laws and were allowed back on air. Under the new laws, these channels may not "ridicule" the "head of state, or members of the armed force, or executive, legislative or judicial organs of the state." But two channels, Geo News and ARY One World, had rejected the edicts and continued to broadcast from Dubai.

Talk-show host Shahid Masood appeared live from Dubai on Geo News, which counted down the minutes to the shutdown. He blamed the Pakistani government for pressuring the "government of the friendly country that is hosting us" into evicting the news channel.

Pakistani officials couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

On the military front, Pakistan's army is pursuing one of its largest military campaigns against Islamic militants in the troubled northern region close to the Afghan border. A curfew has been clamped in the Swat and Malakand districts as security forces backed by helicopter gunships and artillery pounded militant positions in areas that fell into militant control last week.

Gen. Pasha said as many as 600 foreign militants, including Uzbeks, Chechens and Arabs, were part of the Islamic militia which has over run Swat and were moving towards other areas. "We have clear evidence of the presence of foreign fighters," said the major general, who is directing military operation in the area. He said the militants were receiving funds from other countries, but denied to name them. "They have strong linkages from outside elements," he said. "They are well equipped and trained."

--The Associated Press contributed to this report.