ISLAMABAD, May 15 Senior members of the government and leaders of parties having representation in parliament were assured on Friday by Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani that there was no going back on the military operation against militants till its logical conclusion and that a swift action had been launched to flush out extremists from Swat and other parts of Malakand division.

The leaders were briefed in camera by the COAS and the Director General of Operations, Maj-Gen Javed Iqbal, at PM's House and reassured that special care was being taken to avoid collateral damage and that a decisive advance had been made in Mingora and its suburbs.

The army officers said the city had been encircled from all sides and it would be cleared of militants very soon.

The leaders were informed that militants were on the run after army's penetration into areas where troops had no access earlier.

They were also told that Fazlullah, believed to be the head of militant Taliban, was not in control of all the groups fighting in Malakand and that the militant groups were receiving money and arms through Waziristan and Afghanistan.

According to sources, all the participants were satisfied with the briefing and extended full support to the armed forces in meeting the objective of protecting the troubled areas from militants.

Lt-Gen Nadeem Ahmad, head of the Special Support Group, briefed the meeting about the scheme of tackling the issue of displaced people.

The meeting accepted a proposal to give preference to students from troubled areas in admission to federal institutions and for fees waiver for the current and next sessions.

The meeting was informed that the displaced people from Buner might be repatriated earlier than others. The logistics and other issues were also discussed.

It was suggested that displaced people living in rented houses outside the NWFP should also be registered and their rents be paid by the government.

During the five-hour briefing participants asked questions about a timeframe for completion of the operation and the army's exit strategy.

The leadership emphasised that strategic questions regarding where, when and how many troops were deployed were based on an “objective analysis and full understanding of the threat spectrum”.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said “The militants attempted to impose on us their engineered regulations. The government's sincere efforts for establishing peace were construed as its weakness and the militants began challenging the entire |system.”

He said there was no option left for the government but to launch a full-scale operation against the militants.

“The government firmly believes that parliament is a sovereign body and, therefore, getting parliamentary leadership on board is essential.

“I assure you that the input from today's meeting along with suggestions from the forthcoming APC will be incorporated in our national security policy to deal with the situation.

“Pakistan is at the crossroads of its history. The situation is not normal, militants have threatened the very fabric of our society by trying to impose their will through coercive measures. The government did try to resolve all issues democratically and peacefully.

“After having exhausted all political and peaceful means, the government was left with no other option but to call in the armed forces to take stern action against the miscreants. The armed forces are carrying on the operation with full commitment and a high degree of operational professionalism.”

The briefing was attended by Mian Nawaz Sharif of the PML-N, Maulana Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F), Mian Shahbaz Sharif (Punjab Chief Minister), Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi (PML-Q), Dr Farooq Sattar (MQM), Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan (Leader of Opposition in National Assembly), Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao (PPP-S), Haji Munir Khan Aurakzai (Fata), Mir Israrullah Zehri (BNP-A), Owais Ahmad Ghani (NWFP Governor), Ameer Haider Khan Hoti (NWFP Chief Minister), Zahid Khan (ANP), Mian Raza Rabbani (PPP), Pir Sadruddin Shah, Ministers Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah, Babar Awan, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Hina Rabbani Khar and military officers.