Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Lt-General Ahmed Sharif has declared that Azm-e-Istehkam was not a military operation rather it was a compact and comprehensive anti-terrorism campaign agreed through a national consensus, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Monday, the ISPR DG said the purpose of this news briefing was to clarify the Army’s stance on key issues as a surge was witnessed in the organized propaganda, fake and concocted news against the armed forces of Pakistan in the recent days.
Highlighting details about anti-terrorism operations so far in the year, the ISPR DG said 22,409 intelligence-based operations were conducted against terrorists and their facilitators. He said over 112 operations were being conducted daily by the military and law enforcement agencies against terrorism.
Replying to a question about Azm-e-Istehkam operation, Ahmed Sharif said that it was a “comprehensive counter-terrorism campaign” through national consensus and “not a military operation per se as it was being presented”.
The ISPR DG maintained: “I will start by saying that our problem is that we are sacrificing even very important issues on the altar of politics and Azm-e-Istehkam is one such example.”
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Ahmed Sharif said a narrative was promoted undermining Azm-e-Istehkam operation that it was kickstarted to displace people from their areas. He maintained that the operation was only aimed at reinvigorating the already in place National Action Plan (NAP).
The ISPR DG said kinetic efforts already under way would be cemented by law enforcement agencies empowered by effective legislation in accordance with the original operation announcement.
Recalling the original announcement, the DG ISPR questioned where it pointed to previous military operations. “Our issue is that we make every important issue … a joke because of our politics,” he averred, adding a “very strong lobby” did not want the objectives of the National Action Plan to be achieved because the stakes were very high.
Ahmed Sharif said “A massive illegal, political mafia rose to sabotage the operation and the first move of that mafia was to make the operation controversial through false and fake arguments.”
Mentioning NAP’s 14 points, Ahmed Sharif said kinetic operations were under way in an excellent way with four to five operations under way in every hour.
He further recalled that it was decided in 2014 and 2021 that counter-terrorism departments (CTDs) would be established at the provincial levels and they would be responsible for leading operations against terrorism. The NAP also talked about the regularisation and registration of religious seminaries but only a bit over 16,000 were done and thus the status of 50 percent was unknown, asking “Does the Army have to do this?”
The ISPR DG said all political parties had also decided to end the “illegal spectrum” which is felt and seen everywhere in daily life and it hides a major illegal economy through which the criminal system and terrorism operate.
Ahmed Sharif said the requirement of the illegal spectrum was a “soft state” and the solution to it was the NAP, adding eliminating the illegal spectrum would lead to societal benefits overall instead of solely curbing terrorism. “There is a vested interest that doesn’t want this to happen and they’re making a lot of money.”
When asked about the violence during the recent peace rally in Bannu, the ISPR DG highlighted last week’s terrorist attack on Bannu Cantonment that martyred eight military personnel. The local residents had sought permission for carrying out a peace rally the next day which was sanctioned provided there would be no anti-state slogans. “But when the peace rally began, some miscreants joined it,” he added.
He said the rally marched through the point of the terrorist attack and “chanted slogans against the Army and the state and pelted stones”, adding that some armed individuals were already part of the march “who opened fire because of which there were injuries”.
“If terrorists join the peace march under the garb of protesters and opened firing then it’s the responsibility of the administration to deal with the situation,” he said and added “The public’s anger is valid. Soon after the Bannu incident, digital terrorists sprang into action. They used old pictures from other countries to link them with the Bannu incident.”
The ISPR DG said a temporary wall erected at the Bannu Cantonment was also torn down and the supply depot was looted. “This is how it happened. The Army’s response was as per orders. When the May 9 incident happened, a specific political group, a chaotic crowd, began doing propaganda that why didn’t the Army stop them.”
He said the army’s system was very clear and if there was a military situation then there “are very clear orders and the officers conducted themselves according to it”.
Ahmed Sharif said if a charged crowd targeting a military installation then it was first given a clear warning, then aerial firing was carried out and “if it still does not stop then it is treated how it should be.”
He said security forces had thus conducted aerial firing as per the above code. “The issue is why this happened. This happened because your legal and judicial system, when it gives leeway to the perpetrators and facilitators of May 9 and doesn’t bring them to justice then discord, mob mentality and fascism will further increase in the country.”
The DG ISPR said riot control and law and order were the provincial government’s responsibility and not the military’s. “Miscreants join a crowd and open fire and kill people, so this responsibility is of the provincial government and administration. So, it does not make sense that why one political party was carrying out protest against its own provincial government?”
When asked about audio leak of Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, chief of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan group, Ahmed Sharif asked what brand of Islam the militant was preaching that talking about blowing up schools, colleges, hospitals and homes. “This will be taken to its logical end,” he said, adding such things only strengthen their resolve that Azm-e-Istehkam is absolute necessary.
Ahmed Sharif said the government and institutions were trying to resolve the issue of the TLP sit-in through dialogue without violence considering the sensitivity of the matter. “Meanwhile, fake news and propaganda began that they (TLP) were brought here by the institution itself. For what purpose?”
The ISPR DG questioned if the military would be blamed for every other protest. “The problem is that unfortunately fake news and propaganda have become so common and there is no accountability for it.”
The ISPR chief questioned the lack of any action against such individuals despite their activities against the leadership of the state and other institutions. “Instead of the courts and regulations moving forward against them, they’re given further space and they’re made heroes in the name of freedom of expression,” Ahmed Sharif maintained.