President defends Bajaur airstrike
Says all killed were militants
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—President General Pervez Musharraf has said that Bajaur operation was carried out after thorough observation and complete analysis and no innocent people were killed in the air strike.
“The compound was being monitored for the last several days and we knew what they were doing. It was being used for training of militants”, he said.
The President categorically said that there were no innocent people inside the compound and anyone saying otherwise is telling lies. All reports are otherwise untrue. He said those killed were militants using weapons.
He said this while addressing the inaugural session of the two-day international seminar on “Security in South Asia in the non-traditional spheres and Human Security” organized by the Institute of Regional Studies here on Tuesday.
The President expressed the firm resolve that the military aspect will go side by side where ever there is militant activity with the development and reconstruction activities in the Tribal areas. He said the physical manifestation of government’s resolve to deal with the militants was seen in Bajour where the training compound was targeted. The President however said military only buys time and does not provide political solution. He said the issue of extremism and terrorism will have to be addressed through a holistic strategy which the government is pursuing. He said extremism and terrorism are the biggest threats to the world at large which is a common heritage and also to the Muslim Ummah, the region and more especially Pakistan itself.
President Musharraf underlining the strategy to deal with the twin menaces said Pakistan has adopted a holistic strategy to deal with the menace. He said the terrorism is being dealt with force while extremism which is a state of mind is being addressed through a prudent approach.
He said Al-Qaeda mainly has been defeated but now the focus has shifted to Taliban and the phenomenon of Talibanization. He said the four-pronged strategy which country is following is all these elements keeping in view the ground realities. He said the strategy include use of military force to crush terrorism alongside addressing the political, administrative and development aspects to effectively curb extremism and terrorism in our Tribal Areas. He further maintained that the extremism and terrorism have seeds leading to traditional security areas.
The President said the ethnic, regional and sectarian strife alongside poverty and unemployment are also posing threat in the non-traditional spheres. He said lack of development in the social sectors and empowerment people including spawns extremism and terrorism. He saidwomen and minorities must be empowered politically especially the marginalized people to bring harmony in the society. He said in Pakistan’s context the core issue is economic upsurge and it has to be maintained.
Speaking on other issues, the President said Pakistan’s focus would continue to remain in the traditional security sphere so far the threat or use of threat of force remains in our region and till the resolution of all outstanding disputes between Pakistan and India including Kashmir.