ISLAMABAD, June 19 (DPA) Pakistan today sent its regular army to another semi-autonomous tribal region in the Northwest of the country to prevent infiltration of Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters from neighbouring Afghanistan.
Reports said three infantry units were dispatched to the Mohmand area to guard about 60 KM of border with Afghanistan's Kunar and Nangarhar provinces.
"The regular army will join the paramilitary forces in the area and take the frontline position on the border," an official said.
Out of total seven tribal regions, Pakistani forces have already been deployed in two tribal areas, Kurrum and Khyber.
Pakistan's tribal belt has been a focal point throughout the manhunt for Al Qaeda and Taliban members.
Pakistan has so far arrested some 500 Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives including three top figures Abu Zubaida, Sheikh Omar and Ramzi Al-Shabhi.
Most have been handed over to the United States.
Musharraf says nukes to be last resort LONDON, Jun 19 (UNI) President Pervez Musharraf has warned the West that curbs on Pakistan's defence spending combined with India's quest for "military superiority" would create a "dangerous imbalance" and force the country to rely on its nuclear weapons.
"The other element of deterrence is your capability of striking and causing such damage to an enemy that is unbearable to him, and that can be one with a smaller force," he told The Times in an interview yesterday.
A sharp rise in India's defence spending along with restrictions on Pakistan's purchase of military equipment abroad, threatened to create a "dangerous" imbalance, General Musharraf said, adding it would leave Pakistan with no choice but to rely on its nuclear weapons.
Rejecting India's accusations of continuing incursions by terrorists, he said there were no terrorist camps operating in Pakistan.
"If they (India) think I am going to stop even a bird flying across the Line of Control, I will not.
I cannot guarantee nothing happens in Kashmir," he said.
The president said peace talks with India should start as soon as possible but ruled out India's suggestion that Kashmir should be just one of many subjects on the peace agenda.
"Kashmir cannot be sidelined.
It has to be the prime dispute to be resolved, before any other issue could be discussed." While admitting that India and Pakistan came "very close" to war over Kashmir last summer when troops were lined up "eyeball to eyeball," he denied that there had been any danger of a nuclear confrontation.
"When a war starts (you don't know) what direction it will take because there are a lot of intangibles which then come in the way," he, however, added.