Questions raised over Pak Army's ability to defeat Taliban

Toronto, May 10 (ANI): The Pakistan army had vowed to quell the insurgency completely. Questions are being raised about whether the Pakistan Army is up to the task of defeating the Taliban in the Swat Valley, after it announced all out war against insurgents.

A report in the Globe and Mail suggested that Pakistan Army, which is traditionally trained and equipped to fight against India, lacks the will and capability to yield the desired result in the fight against the extremists.

The newspaper said military operations such as the ongoing struggle in the NWFP are not new in the region. Many such operations in Pakistan have been haltingly pursued and ended with peace deals that left the extremists in total command of a particular area of the country.

Experts also admit that the army does not have the capacity to counter the threat.

"The army has no capacity for counterinsurgency and it's very touchy about collateral damage," the newspaper quoted a Karachi based retired major of the Pakistan Army, Major Ikram Sehgal, as saying.

If the army will move against the extremists in the Tribal Areas that harbour Afghan insurgents and those who cross the border to fight, the country would face a colossal enemy, the report said.

The battle for Swat is not a contest over a single valley, it is a war between a democratic government, closely allied to Washington, and a rebel movement intent on imposing its brand of fundamentalism on as much of the country as possible, it added. (ANI)