Article Posted on : - Oct 12, 2012

ISLAMABAD (PTI): Pakistan's top military leadership has said the armed forces were fully prepared to take on "upcoming challenges" faced by the country, triggering speculation that the army could be preparing for a crackdown on militants in the wake of a Taliban attack on teenage rights activist Malala Yousufzai.

Gen. Khalid Shameem Wynne, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, chaired a meeting attended by the three service chiefs to take stock of Pakistan's national security and the "emerging regional geo-strategic environment".

"Participants expressed their satisfaction over the standard of preparedness of armed forces to take on the upcoming challenges being faced by the country," said a statement issued on Thursday after the meeting without giving details.

"It was reiterated that the resolve to fight the menace of terrorism will be kindled and armed forces of Pakistan are ready to render any sacrifice therein," the statement said.

The meeting was held two days after militants shot and seriously injured 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai in the former Taliban stronghold of Swat, located 160-km from Islamabad.

The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the teenager was targeted for backing "pro-West" views and a secular government.

The attack has triggered an outpouring of grief and revulsion across Pakistan, with politicians and civil society leaders calling for action against those responsible for the attack.

After visiting Malala in hospital in Peshawar on Wednesday, army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani issued a rare public statement that said the attack on the girl had exposed the "extremist mindset" confronting Pakistan.

He also said the time had come for people to "stand up to fight the propagators of such barbaric mindset".

Besides Kayani, Thursdays meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee was attended by naval chief Admiral Muhammad Asif Sandila, air force chief Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, the Defence Secretary, Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt Gen Zahir-ul-Islam and the head of the Strategic Plans Division.

Following the meeting of the military leadership, President Asif Ali Zardari chaired a meeting at the presidency that was attended by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and Kayani.

TV news channels quoted their sources as saying that the civil and military leadership reviewed the situation in the country and the war against terror.