NWFP Gov’t: Swat Operations a Failure
PESHAWAR, Dec 20: The NWFP government on Saturday termed the military operation in Swat a failure and called upon the security forces to take “effective action” against militants so that peace returned to the valley.
The NWFP cabinet, which met here on Saturday, decided to invest police with sweeping powers for curbing the growing menace of kidnapping for ransom as “militants and influential persons having hideouts in the settled areas are involved in the activity”.
“A perception is growing that mostly innocent people are being killed in the army operation. Therefore security forces should carry out the operation in such a manner as to restore confidence of the local populace,” said Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the provincial information minister, at a media briefing. Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti chaired the meeting. Malik Naveed, the province’s police chief, was also present.