ISLAMABAD, June 18 Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar has said that the operation in Swat valley has almost ended and people displaced from the region will start returning to their homes from Saturday.

The minister said in an interview with DawnNews that after clearing Swat the military would go after militants in South Waziristan.

Ahmed Mukhtar said that Baitullah Mehsud wanted to create chaos in the country by carrying out suicide attacks and, therefore, the government had decided to hit back. “We have a huge network of informers who are after him and the moment his whereabouts are known the forces are going to hit him”, the minister said.

He said he had no information about Baitullah's foreign links, but his major financial source is drug money and worldwide donations given to him in the name of fight against the United States, and now against Pakistan.

If Pakistan got the drone technology, he was asked, would it use it to trace and kill Baitullah Mehsud, the minister said F-16 fighter jets were better than drones, and faster as well, and they would be bombing his sanctuaries.

“He (Baitullah Mehsud) is working against the interest of the state of Pakistan and we have to protect our interests at all costs,” Ahmed Mukhtar said.

Regarding the security of Pakistan's nuclear assets, the minister said nuclear weapons were safe and there was no threat to their security. There was no question of asking any foreign country to protect the weapons.

Answering a question about drone attacks, he said that in most of the attacks miscreants were killed, and not civilians. However, Pakistan would continue to oppose the attacks.

The minister brushed aside US reports about the presence of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan and said it was not certain if he was dead or alive.

Talking about the raise given to army personnel, the minister clarified that the raise was for the three armed forces and it would be on the basic salary with effect from January next year. He said that the salary of armed forces personnel in Pakistan was lowest in the region and this raise had been given after 38 years. “Apart from meeting their everyday needs this would boost their morale”, he remarked.

Answering a question, he ruled out the possibility of any military takeover and said democracy was strong and the army was under complete civilian control.