No large scale military operation being contemplated under Azm-e-Istehkam: PM Office

Islamabad: Azm-e-Istehkam is aimed at reinvigorating and re-energising the ongoing implementation of the Revised National Action Plan, which was initiated after the national consensus across the political spectrum, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said on Monday.

The government recently announced a new vision for long-term stability called Azm-e-Istehkam. However, some people are misunderstanding it and comparing it to previous kinetic operations like Zarb-e-Azab and Rah-e-Najaat.

The previous kinetic operations were conducted to physically dislodge terrorists from their known locations which had become No-Go areas and compromised the writ of the state. These operations required mass displacement of the local population and systematic clearance of affected areas. 

There are no such No-Go areas in the country since the ability of terrorist entities to carry out large-scale organized operations inside Pakistan was decisively degraded by earlier kinetic operations. Therefore, no large-scale military operation is being contemplated where displacement of population will be required. 

Azm-e-Istehkam is a multi-domain, multi-agency, whole-of-the-system national vision for enduring stability in Pakistan.  It is meant to reinvigorate and re-energise the ongoing implementation of the Revised National Action Plan, which was initiated after the national consensus across the political spectrum.

Azm-e-Istehkam is aimed at energizing already in place intelligence-based kinetic operations so as to decisively root out the nebulous and shadowy presence of remnants of terrorists, their facilitation due to crime-terror nexus, and rooting out violent extremism in the country to ensure an overall secure environment in the country for its economic development and prosperity.

This will include political, diplomatic, legal and information prongs apart from already continuing operations by all Law Enforcement Agencies. 

This should address all the misunderstandings as well as settle unnecessary debate on the subject.