ISLAMABAD: Director-General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Athar Abbas out rightly rejected fears that Taliban could storm Islamabad.
Talking to CNN, he said it was impossible for a band of 200, who had come to Buner, to storm the capital also.
Although Buner is situated within a radius of 100 miles from the federal capital, the threat could not be measured in terms of distance, he said, adding that the threat has to be measured in terms of capability and counter capabilities, he said.
There is a huge presence of law enforcement agencies in the aforementioned area. It is only ridiculous to say that Taliban are threatening Islamabad, he added.
**There are some splinter groups, not even in control of Mullah Fazlullah and Sufi Mohammad, that are creating problems, **he said, adding that the government is confident it would be able to deliver and enforce the peace agreement.
He said there are less than 50 Taliban in Buner, recruited by Swati Taliban, that are left behind after the Swat Taliban’s pullout from the district.
After the agreement the Swat Taliban were supposed to lay down their arms. If remain adamant they would be expelled from the area by the security forces, he said.
The government and army were trying their best to honour the peace deal inked with Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM), he said.
Meanwhile, talking to DawnNews, he said the armed forces were exercising maximum restraint and would never allow Taliban militants to take over Buner.
He said the military was closely monitoring the security in Malakand division.
Durable peace can only return in Swat when the militants disarm themselves and surrender to the authorities, Abbas said.
Sufi Mohammad must fulfil the commitment he has made to the government, he said, adding that the decision to launch any fresh offensives rests with the political leadership.