Political mafia wants to sabotage 'Azm-e-Istehkam', DG ISPR

Rawalpindi: The Director General (DG) of Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) is holding an important press conference today (Monday).

Addressing the press conference in Rawalpindi, DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that organized propaganda and fake news against the armed forces have increased in recent times, therefore, it is necessary to discuss these issues.

He stated that very serious issues are being used as politics, Azm-e-Istehkam operation is one of example. It is not an operation but a coordinated campaign against terrorism.

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif added that this year security forces conducted 22,409 intelligence-based operations. 31 most wanted terrorists were also killed during the operations, and agencies are conducting 112 operations daily.

DG ISPR further said that organised propaganda and false news against the armed forces have increased in recent times, therefore, it is necessary to discuss these issues.

In view of increasing lies and propaganda, we will hold frequent press conferences, he added.

Ahmed Sharif said that there is a strong lobby wants that the objectives of Azm-e-Istehkam not to be fulfilled. The operation is being politicised. Why did a mafia, political mafia and illegal mafia stood up and start saying that they will not let this happen? This political mafia wants Azm-e-Istehkam to be made controversial.

He also stated that a meeting of the National Apex Committee was held on June 22 on Azm-e-Istehkam operation in which relevant ministers, chief ministers, chief secretaries were present and all the service chiefs were also there. A declaration of the Apex Committee meeting was also issued in which it was stated that we have to make a national consensus on counter-terrorism policy.

Lieutenant General Ahmed further stated that the war against terrorism was fought with intensity. We are conducting four to five operations every hour. There are more than 32,000 madrasas in Pakistan, 16,000 of them are registered. Besides them, where are the other madrasas, who is running them, 50 percent of the madrasas are not registered, is this to be done by the army?

He said that six countries have borders with Afghanistan, out of which five countries have access through passports except Pakistan. Why is the border of Pakistan being kept as a soft border based on ID card or Tazkeera? When the government implemented the One Document Regime Passport, protests started against it. These protesters have only one demand to let them smuggle.

DG ISPR said that some civilians were also martyred due to the firing of terrorists in Bannu attack. Some people raised slogans against the state and the army and pelted stones during the Bannu peace march. Some armed people were included in the crowd. The ration depot was looted, and some people opened fire even a kilometer away from the incident, the army's response to the incident was as per SOP and order.

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif continued to say that after May 9, the anarchist group had said why the army did not stop or shoot. The narrative was played that because the army did not fire, they brought them themselves. When there is a call on military installations, first a warning with aerial firing and then it is treated as it should be.

All this happened because the planners of May 9 will not reach their goal, chaos and fascism will spread further in the country, and law and order did not belong to the army but to the provincial government, he also stated.

An organised campaign is being run against military’s top echelon and they are portraying ‘terrorist’ as ‘heros’ under the garb of freedom of speech, said the army official.

He continued that digital terrorists should be stopped through law and monitoring. They are working alongside real terrorists.