Units from the Force Command Northern Area (FCNA) that controls PoK and forces from the dual-role XI Corps in Peshawar — tasked with defending the Afghan border but with a secondary strike role against India in the event of war — have also been moved to fight the Taliban.

The last time the Peshawar-based XI Corps moved from its position to Pakistan’s eastern border was in 2001-02 to counter the Indian Army’s troop build-up during Operation Parakram. At that time, the Indian army had been counting on the time that would be needed to bring the Corps to the border from Peshawar.

With the Pak army now stretched along the north-west frontier, intelligence officials say that clearer and bigger voids are now opening up on its eastern border.

“This kind of deployment has led to a clear operational void along Pakistan’s eastern border. All reserves, sectorial and strategic, including the Headquarters reserves have been committed,” said an intelligence official.

In the past few months, and more prominently after the Lal Masjid episode, information gleaned by intelligence agencies suggests that the strain is starting to tell on the regular Pak army.

In October, written instructions were sent by GHQ to all formation commanders to determine the quantity of forces each unit could relieve for deployment along the Afghan border and even the hinterland. Sources say that an internal audit was carried out by all formations shortly afterwards and a classified list of ‘extra troops’ was drawn up by GHQ.

... contd.