Pakistan Can No Longer Afford to Keep 100,000 Troops in FATA: Defense Minister

Pakistani defense minister Ahmed Mukhtar stated in front of media that Pakistan can no longer afford to keep troops in the areas bordering Afghanistan due to recent aid suspension by the United States.

Statement by the Pakistani defense minister seems to be a response to the announcements by the US officials that it is going to cut the US military aid to Pakistan. Mukhtar claimed that Pakistan can no longer afford to keep the large number of soldiers in the area due to limited financial resources. He said, "We cannot afford to keep military out in the mountains for such a long period."

His statement came after the US decision to punish Pakistan by cutting $800m (£500m) in military aid. He said, "If at all things become difficult, we will just get all our forces back". He said in an interview to the local news channel, "If Americans refuse to give us money, then okay. I think the next step is that the government or the armed forces will be moving from the border areas."

It is believed that Pakistan pull out over 100,000 soldier fighting against the Taliban militants in the area. Ahmed Mukhtar said that US was giving us the money which we had already spent on the maintenance of our forces in the Tribal Areas. “This is what we are demanding,” he said. “It is our own money.”

If Pakistan indeed decides to move ahead and start withdrawing the troops from the areas bordering Afghanistan, this could very well be the worst security disaster for the US led military coalition in Afghanistan.

Pakistani army is currently busy in the operation against Taliban militants in the in Mohmand and Kurram.

Any withdraw or even the announcement of withdrawal will help boost the morale of the militants in the area and this will certainly complicate the US plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

US decision to cut the aid is acting like fuel to the fire and anger among the public is on the rise as many claim that US is doing what it has done in the Past 60 year, leaving the Pakistan alone as soon as its own objectives were met.

Corps Commanders of the Pakistan army said in the 140th Corps Commanders’ Conference at the General Headquarters that fight against the terrorists is in Pakistan's own interest and they said that well will use “our own resources” for this fight.

US aid was meant to repay for the costs of maintaining the Pakistani troops in the tribal area.Pakistan has over 1,100 security check posts near Afghanistan to stop militants from crossing the border in and out of Afghanistan. 

Pakistan security check post out number the Afghan check post by huge margin and dismantling of these check post would allow Taliban militants freedom of movement which they lacked since 2001. In recent times, Taliban has used large scale attack with 100 to 500 militants to destroy these check posts.