Army Officers will no longer have to follow chain of command to retaliate to NATO attacks in future: Pakistan Army

Army Officers will no longer have to follow chain of command to retaliate to NATO attacks in future: Pakistan Army

In a development that pushes US-Pakistan relations further into the realm of uncertainty, the army has authorised its local commanders deployed near the Afghan border to retaliate to any future incursions by NATO forces.

The decision to review the chain of command of security forces stationed at the western border was taken by the army chief, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, after consultations with his top commanders in the wake of NATO strikes at the weekend, said a military
official.

The change means that from here on in the US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan will also be treated as a potential threat, commented former Federal Administered Tribal Areas secretary Brig (retd) Mehmood Shah.

“Until now the focus of security forces at the Afghan border was to take action against militants and stop cross border infiltration but now they will also be keeping an eye on future NATO strikes,” Brig Shah added.

Defence analyst Lt General (Retd) Abdul Qayum was of the view that local commanders will now not have to seek approval from their chain of command to return fire at the NATO fighter planes if they carry out “hostile manoeuvres on our soil.”

The fresh directives have been conveyed by General Kayani in a letter circulated among the concerned military quarters.

Another military official disclosed that a proposal is under consideration to re-equip the troops along the border with Afghanistan to stop any future violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.

However, the latest move is being seen by many as an attempt by the military brass to pacify the growing anger among the lower-cadre of the army over the Nato strikes and also use it as pressure tactic.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has not completely shut the door to the international conference on the Afghanistan endgame next week in Germany, though Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday, December 01 reiterated that the decision to boycott the Bonn moot
was irreversible.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=5348

Posted by Ammar Ahmad on Dec 1 2011. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry