July 26, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 22, 1429

ISLAMABAD, July 25: The government on Friday claimed to have arrested top Al Qaeda leaders during operations in Hangu and Fata.

“We have achieved the targets of Fata and Hangu operations and security forces have destroyed networks of Al Qaeda,” the prime minister’s adviser on interior, Rehman Malik, told reporters at the Chaklala airbase after seeing off the UAE foreign minister. Interior secretary Syed Kamal Shah was also present.

He said that 40 Al Qaeda commanders, including Amjad and Rafi, had been arrested during operations in Hangu and Bara and 17 security personnel had embraced martyrdom.

Mr Malik said the federal government would honour agreements between the Frontier government and tribal people. However, he said that if the agreements failed, stern action would be taken against lawbreakers.

He said the Hangu operation was meant for establishing the writ of the state and it had been launched on the request of the provincial government.

Mr Malik will accompany Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to the United States on Saturday. “I will thoroughly discuss strategies on war on terror with the US authorities,” he added.

He rejected a perception that the UAE foreign minister had come to Pakistan for any kind of reconciliation.

TERRORIST ACTIVITIES: Presiding over a meeting of the National Public Safety Commission (NPSC), Mr Malik claimed that the government had controlled terrorist activities through a policy of three Ds (dialogue, development and deterrence) and three Ps (prevent, protect and pursuit).

“Suicide attacks have come down to zero in Punjab and Sindh and these have declined by 80 per cent in the NWFP. Terrorist networks have been unearthed by arresting top militants,” he said.

“The operation in Fata has been successful and desired objectives have been achieved with the use of minimal force. There has been no collateral damage.”