Army’s stance on May 9 is unchanged, says ISPR DG

Rawalpindi: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Monday said that the army's stance on the May 9 protests remained unchanged and there would be continuity in this regard.

Chaudhry said the Pakistan Army was particularly focused on the underdeveloped areas of KP and Balochistan, along with Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and other areas. 

“India was committing all sorts of injustices in Kashmir. It has snatched right of special status of Kashmiris and continued lockdown was tantamount to human rights abuses,” said the ISPR DG.

He added that during the operations conducted over the last 15 days, “24 terrorists” were eliminated.

“It is important to mention that to fight terrorism, the Pakistan Army, intelligence, police, and other law enforcement agencies conduct more than a hundred operations daily,” he said.

Reiterated his stance on May 9, Chaudhry said, “Army’s stance on May 9 is clear, which was conveyed in the May 7 press conference. There has been no change in that nor there will be.”

On the fight against terrorism, the ISPR DG disclosed that 23,622 intelligence-based operations have been conducted in the ongoing year.

“The security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) conducted 23,622 small and large-scale intelligence-based operations in the country”, the DG ISPR said. “Out of the total, 2,045 operations were carried out over the last 15 days.”

He mentioned that 139 soldiers of the Pakistani security forces embraced martyrdom during the first seven months of the ongoing year.

“The entire nation pays tribute to the brave martyrs and their families,” the DG said.

“This shows that the Pakistani security forces, law enforcement agencies, and intelligence agencies were entirely focused on making the country’s internal and border security certain and lasting”.

Mentioning the government's notification which declared the proscribed TTP as "Fitna al-Khawarij," and its members as Kharji or outcasts, he said the militant outfit had nothing to do with Islamic principles.

It is not an ideology but just creating and expanding mischief in the society, the ISPR DG said.

On the education front, he said he highlighted that, "Digital education is also being provided to the youth," and added that the Balochistan's students are the country's future.

A scholarship programme has been started for them and apart from their studies, the army has also been covering their additional expenses.

"About 92 schools are being run in Balochistan for better education and 19,000 are getting education from there," the ISPR DG added.

Also, the army has also established 171 schools and three cadet colleges in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Talking on the issue of digital media, ISPR DG said that not enough was being done under the law to combat “digital terrorism,” allowing fake news and propaganda to spread in the country.

He stated that the first line of defense against “digital terrorism” is the country's law.

“It is the country’s law that has to control and curb digital terrorism, but unfortunately, lies, propaganda—particularly on social media—fake news, and doctored images continue to spread, creating confusion in the public’s mind,” he stated. “The law is not being enforced against digital terrorism as it should be.”

He added that the Pakistan Army is taking the issue very seriously.

“Therefore, whoever—whether in Pakistan or abroad, and regardless of their position—is found spreading propaganda against the Pakistan Army, creating a divide between the army and the people, or spreading fake news, the army will take necessary legal action against them. There is a whole process for this,” he explained.