Military opposes release of Taliban prisoners?

The release of 19 Taliban detainees was, reportedly, opposed by the top military leadership even though the Taliban maintain that none of those released was on the list that they gave to the government. Sources privy to the development maintain that Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif during a recent meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif conveyed concerns within the security establishment over the unilateral release of Taliban members as well as the trial of the former military chief Pervez Musharraf.
The sources maintained that there were immense reservations within the security establishment over the release of Taliban prisoners without ensuring the release of many security personnel and civilians currently in the Taliban custody.
Taliban in recent direct interaction with the government nominated peace negotiators had demanded release of their non-combatants in government custody, besides establishment of a military-free zone where the Taliban could move freely.
The sources reveal that the apprehensions among the military are that the peace process is a means to gain time and recoup their losses and then re-launch their attacks as happened in the past which is why the army is cautioning the civilian leadership to take every step very carefully.
The sources said the military had successfully convinced the civilian leadership not to grant Most Favored Nation (MFN) status to India in haste. The security establishment had expressed reservations over the grant of MFN status to India which accounts for the Prime Minister's decision to delay the process in spite of the successful completion of negotiations spearheaded by the Federal Commerce Minister and the Chief Minister of Punjab.
However, sources close to the Prime Minister maintain that the reason behind the delay in the grant of MFN status to India is attributed to concerns expressed by Pakistan's major sectors including the pharmaceutical industry, the agriculture sector and small and medium enterprises who argue that heavy subsidisation of these sectors by the Indian government as well as non-tariff barriers imposed by India, many of which are Pakistan specific, would give Indian manufacturers an unfair advantage in our markets.
The Prime Minister is sensitive to the concerns of the productive sectors which is why he has delayed the process, they aver.
Talking to Business Recorder, defence analyst, Lieutenant-General Talat Masood (retd)said that releasing Taliban detainees secretly not only raised questions on the government's strategy but the move also brought "humiliation" to civilians and military.
"Let me say that not only the army but ordinary citizens are also feeling humiliated on the way the government freed the Taliban detainees...they [Taliban] are doing nothing but blackmailing the government," he said, adding the government policy and strategy of peace talks with India is creating confusion.`
However, he said the Taliban prisoners were released in consultation with the ISI and the military command.
Army's support for Musharraf was only speculation driven by his extended stay in the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC), he said, adding that his long stay in AFIC does not prove that Musharraf is enjoying military backing.
Responding to a question about the MFN status to India, he said it was not the Pakistan Army who was opposing trade liberalisation with India but the agriculturists and industrialists were lobbying while using the name of the military to block the move granting the MFN status to India.
Another defence analyst Air Vice Marshal Shahzad Chaudhry (retd) opined that the military might have been consulted prior to making the decision to release the Taliban detainees.
He said that it was not the mandate of a political agent, an appointee of the federal government, to take a decision on releasing Taliban detainees on his own.
"In my opinion the political agent must have consulted the military command of the tribal agency prior to release of the Taliban prisoners," he said, adding that the military command of the particular tribal agency had perhaps consulted the high authorities sitting in GHQ in this regard.
About the trial of Pervez Musharraf, he said the military wanted an amicable solution and added that only Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif may be able to answer the much asked query whether Pervez Musharraf was enjoying military backing or not, adding that ISPR usually does not respond to speculations.
About the grant of MFN status to India, he said that the military usually concentrates on its professional duties and refrains from engaging in such debates.
According to him, the military has no such serious concern compared to the other sectors, including agriculture, small and medium enterprises, auto-industry and pharmaceutical sector. He said out that the small engineering units near Lahore were concerned about losing their market share in case India is granted MFN status.