RAWALPINDI: On Monday, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry addressed the issue of politicizing serious matters in Pakistan, citing the Azm-e-Istehkam campaign as an example.
During a press conference in Rawalpindi, Lt Gen Chaudhry clarified that Azm-e-Istehkam is a comprehensive counter-terrorism campaign, not a military operation as some have presented it. He recalled a meeting of the Apex Committee, the country’s top security body, on June 22, where it was stated that the anti-terrorism policy was made with national consensus.
Lt Gen Chaudhry assured that there are no no-go areas in the country and that the campaign will not cause any displacements. Amid concerns, the Prime Minister’s Office released a statement on June 24 to clarify that Azm-e-Istehkam is not a military operation. He questioned why certain political groups are trying to make the campaign controversial and stated that a strong lobby is opposing its objectives.
Providing statistics, Lt Gen Chaudhry said the army is conducting four to five operations per hour daily. This year, security forces have conducted 22,409 intelligence-based operations, killing 31 high-value targets. During these operations, 137 officers and soldiers have lost their lives.
He emphasized that the army clears areas of terrorists, but it is the provincial government’s responsibility to rebuild and transfer these areas to civilians. Failure to do so results in a vicious cycle of clearing and holding areas, making it easier for certain elements to incite locals against the army.
Lt Gen Chaudhry highlighted that Azm-e-Istehkam aims to eliminate terrorism and bring stability to the country. He also mentioned the recent incident in Bannu, where eight military personnel were martyred, and urged people to hold demonstrations against terrorists, not the army.
The DG ISPR stressed the importance of following the Azm-e-Istehkam campaign to achieve lasting peace and security in Pakistan.