AMANPOUR: For years, these militant groups have been considered by some, at some point, an asset. Do you still think that? Are you being able to get yourself away from the collusion in some instances with these militants? BAJWA: First of all, you know if you want to go back then you need to go to the time of Afghan jihad and the border of Afghanistan -- AMANPOUR: I know all about that. But I want to know now, because its now. BAJWA: -- OK. I will tell you. You know, that was a time who all raised, fed, trained and used these people. Now coming to now, Pakistan is very clear, very determined. There are no good terrorists. There is no collusion. We are absolutely clear, no confusion in our mind. We are going against all terrorists without any discrimination of hue and color. I think there is no confusion in our mind that we have to go against the phenomenon of terrorism, against all terrorists, and their abettors. AMANPOUR: And now the question is, are you up to it? Is the Pakistan force -- and I say this with deep sympathy for all of your people whove been killed during this and for those children, who were slaughtered because of your latest assault against the Taliban -- but are you up to it? BAJWA: I would say this is an insult to the Pakistani people and Pakistani forces if you ask this kind of question. When I say were very clear and we are capable of dealing with them. However, if you see the nature of this conflict, you see the U.S. forces in Iraq, then in Afghanistan, theyve been there for so long, you look at the ISAF forces. The scale and magnitude of the forces and resources which are employed and look at the performance of Pakistani forces, they have done an excellent job. We have been so effective and weve achieved the desired results. And we are expanding it. We will go to the last terrorist and we will eliminate terrorism totally from our soil. AMANPOUR: Where do you see this going now in the future? BAJWA: I would say that as long as we are very clear, we have made the decision. If you see in Pakistan we have really seen this crisis as an opportunity. The whole nation has come together. There is a whole of nation approach. Youve seen the entire political leadership take on one table and take certain decisions for the future of our country. This is a fight which is against an enemy who is focused and who is very clear that the whole world is their enemy. So we, the whole world, need to come together, join our hands and fight this common enemy with common resources and with common narrative. No one in the whole world could imagine that they would become such brutal savages who would just get into any school at random and slaughter so many students. And you know it has shaken not only Pakistan, it has shaken the whole world. And we are grateful to the world for showing their solidarity at this time of great pain and grief. AMANPOUR: Since the attack on the school at Peshawar, the death penalty was reimposed in certain issues. And the military has now been charged with military courts, with being able to prosecute, try and judge these so- called terrorist suspects. Are you worried about the backlash, the blowback of these executions? BAJWA: There is always a chance of blowback. So now that the military has been mandated, it has a sunset clause for two years. But there is also a criminal justice reform which is underway. So this military court is a stopgap arrangement which has now been given to the military for a period of two years while the criminal justice system is under reform. AMANPOUR: General Bajwa, thank you very much indeed for joining me. BAJWA: Thank you.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 06:33:59 +0000
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