Rawalpindi, 26 April 2023 (GNP): Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif on Tuesday said that the military is focused on rooting out terrorism, and there is no political interference of the army in the state.
He expressed these views in a press conference on national security and terrorism — the first such briefing by Maj-Gen Sharif since his appointment as head of the military’s media affairs wing.
The law enforcers have “proven” contacts between the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Baloch insurgents, and foreign spy agencies as the nation faces a fresh wave of terrorism.
“To rid the country of terrorism, more than 70 operations are conducted daily,” he added, “It is very important to note that due to the sacrifices of the public and army, there are no no-go areas in Pakistan today,” the DG ISPR said, adding that some terrorists remained active in some areas of the country, but “they are being hunted down every day”.
“Illegal weapons and ammunition have been obtained from them (terrorists) and facilitators and planners involved in terror incidents have also been arrested and exposed,” he said.
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Maj-Gen Sharif said the attacks on a mosque in Peshawar Police Lines in January and on the Karachi Police Office (KPO) in February were reflective of the “nefarious intentions of terrorists” and showed that “they have nothing to do with the state or Islam”. He said the banned outfit Jamaat-ul-Ahrar carried out the attack in Peshawar Police Lines on the orders of TTP and the suicide bomber who carried out the attack was identified as an Afghan citizen, hailing from Kunduz. This suicide bomber, identified as Imtiaz, was arrested from Bajaur, he added.
We will shed light on matters about security and terrorism in the ongoing year,” he said as he gave details of the situation on Pakistan’s eastern border with India and the Line of Control (LoC) — a de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
India has been conducting false flag operations and propaganda against Pakistan taking advantage of Pakistan’s situation, he iterated
The Indian government is using covert tactics against Pakistan to divert attention from its problems. Some local elements are advancing India’s agenda consciously or unconsciously, he iterated.
The DG said about the role of the army in politics, as far as politics is concerned, Pakistan’s army is a national army and all politicians and political parties are respectable to us. You wouldn’t want this and neither would we that the army leans towards a specific political ideology or vision or party.”
Maj Gen Chaudhry further said around 3141 kilometer-long border has been fenced along the frontiers with Afghanistan and Iran to prevent infiltration of terrorists.
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He said 98% border with Afghanistan and 85% with Iran has been fenced, while 85% of forts along the Afghanistan frontier and 33% with Iran have been completed.
The DG ISPR was also questioned about the handing over of 45,267 acres of land in three districts of Punjab to the military, which was halted by the Lahore High Court, to which he said food security is a challenge for Pakistan.
He added that militaries in other countries live also used by their government to bring improvements in agriculture. “The provincial and federal governments will decide what role the army can play to bring improvement in agriculture, increase production and make the land more cultivable,” DG Sharif added.
The DG ISPR presented his stance regarding criticism of institutions on social media and the lack of government response, saying “We think the talks on social media against the army, institutions, and their officeholders are not only irresponsible and unwise but unconstitutional.”
“We give importance to constructive criticism, but we find it important to say that like any other army, the Pakistan Army can’t be pressured by falsehood and force,” he said.
