ANP leader slams Pak Army's 'hogwash' offensive against Mehsud

Washington, July 26 (ANI): A senior leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) has described the Pakistan Army's offensive against the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud South Waziristan as "hogwash."

Lateef Afridi said the government is merely carrying out a mock offensive in the region to pacify the United States and "earn dollars."

"These are mere mock operations in order to convince the NATO as well as the United States of America that Pakistan is very serious against the extremists," claimed Afridi.

Pakistani leaders were infact protecting the militants, the Weekly Standard magazine quoted him, as saying.

The ANP is a coalition partner of the PPP-led federal government, and heads the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) government.

The Pakistan Army has claimed that it has launched a major offensive against Mehsud, the alleged mastermind of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's December 2007 assassination. (ANI)