Elements having vested interests intend to make Azam-e-Istehkam controversial: DG ISPR Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry
RAWALPINDI, July 22 (SABAH): Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry says elements having vested interests intend to make Azam-e-Istehkam controversial to harm state efforts to curb illegal spectrum and terror-crime nexus. Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that unfortunately, serious issues were also being politicised in Pakistan, presenting Azm-e-Istehkam as an example.
“Azm-e-Istehkam is a comprehensive and integrated counter-terrorism campaign, not a military operation per se as it is being presented,” the DG ISPR said
Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said this while addressing a news conference in Rawalpindi on Monday.
Quoting a declaration issued by the Prime Minister Office, the DG ISPR said Azm-e-Istehkam is a comprehensive and multi-domain counter-terrorism campaign to root out scourge of terrorism from the country. He said it is meant to reinvigorate and reenergize the ongoing implementation of revised National Action Plan, which was initiated after national consensus across political spectrum.
He further added that Azm-e-Istehkam is aimed at energizing already in place intelligence-based kinetic operations to root out the facilitation due to terror-crime nexus. It will help establish a secure environment, necessary for economic development and prosperity of the country.
Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said kinetic operations are one of the 14 points of the revised National Action Plan, which are continuing in an effective manner.
He said 22,409 intelligence-based operations were carried out this year in which 398 terrorists were killed, while 137 officers and personnel of the law enforcement agencies embraced martyrdom. He said 112 intelligence-based operations are conducted on daily basis, which means that the armed forces are fulfilling their responsibilities on kinetic front.
Referring to the second point of the revised National Action Plan, the Director General ISPR said the total strength of Counter-Terrorism Departments of the terrorism-hit provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan need to be strengthened. He said the revised National Action Plan also calls for regulating seminaries in the country.
Regarding the reforms in the criminal justice system, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said there are 13 Anti-Terrorist Courts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whereas their number in Balochistan is nine, which need to be enhanced for speedy conclusion of terrorism related cases.
Turning to 13th point of the revised National Action Plan, the Director General ISPR emphasized the need to curb increasing trend of illegal spectrum.
He said non-customs paid vehicles and smuggling have become a big racket of illegal spectrum, which also facilitate terrorists to operate. He said Afghanistan has shared border with six countries, including Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China and Iran.
He said Afghan nationals include Turkmens, Tajiks and Uzbeks and Persian speaking people and they all go to neighbouring countries on valid travel documents like passports and visa. But, there starts a hue and cry if Pakistan imposes a visa system on its border with Afghanistan. He said they want a soft border to support the illegal spectrum worth billions of rupees.
Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the security agencies are vigorously acting against illegal spectrum and terror-crime nexus. He said the army is fulfilling its responsibility of clearing and holding an area but it is also duty of provincial governments to build and transfer these areas to the people.
He said terrorists might return if other elements of the state fail on building and transferring the areas cleared by the law enforcement agencies. He said it will be easy to spread hatred among masses and incite them against the armed forces if the military keeps on doing the practice of clearing and holding an area without the contribution of provinces with regard to build and transfer.
Responding to question, the ISPR Chief said Pakistan’s stand on Palestine is very clear and genocide in Gaza, committed by Israel, is totally unacceptable. He said Pakistan has dispatched relief assistance worth 118 tons to the war-affected people of Gaza.
Replying to another question, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said digital terrorists are hell-bent to weaken the people’s trust in the armed forces and there should be stringent laws to check this onslaught on social media. The DG ISPR said: “Digital terrorism is being done on social media. The army is standing up against terrorists and digital terrorists. The time has come for the entire nation to stand up against them.”
“It’s hard to pinpoint the exact location of a digital terrorist,” DG ISPR said. While stressing effective steps to stop the spread of fabricated and false information on social media platforms, the DG ISPR said, “The rampant influx of “fake news” targeting the armed forces and their leadership has been ongoing unchecked for a long time, with no one facing any serious consequences so far.”
To eliminate this menace, he said that the law would have to stop the digital terrorists by penalising them. “Instead of the law going after them, they were given more space.”
Some people [who were involved in spreading fake news] have been hailed as heroes in the name of freedom of expression, he added.
The DG ISPR said if they did not stand up against these elements they would gain more ground, benefitting the enemies of Pakistan.
He pointed out that “a foreign group was stationed in Afghanistan, whereas, India was also waiting for the country’s institutions and armed forces to weaken so that it could perpetrate a strike.
Moving on in the press conference, DG ISPR said that on July 15, eight military personnel embraced martyrdom and sent “all terrorists to hell”. He informed journalists that Sepoy Saqib threw himself onto the grenade to save everyone else.
“The very next day, people in Bannu staged a march, saying that they wanted peace. Some armed personnel were also part of the peace march,” the DG ISPR said.
Providing details about the march, in which a person died while several others were injured, he said that people participating in the demonstration had broken down an under-construction wall while they had also looted a supply depot.
“Some armed people opened fire, which led to the loss of life. In Bannu, the army personnel followed their response SOP accordingly. Similarly, people had also raised questions as to why did the army not fire on May 9.”
Explaining the SOP of the army, he said that if an “anarchist group” approaches a military installation, it is first given a warning, and then it is dealt with.
“It is the provincial government’s job to control a mob, not the army’s. However, at the same time, people can definitely hold their peace march,” the spokesperson said.
While he showed footage of the Bannu incident and said that armed personnel could be seen, he stressed: “Hold demonstrations against terrorists.”
He said that as soon as this incident took place, there was a hue and cry on social media. “This shows how digital terrorists are supporting terrorists on the ground.”