Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) has said that the armed forces are already rendering sacrifices in the battle against terrorists and stressed that it is time for the nation to stand up against militants and “digital terrorists”.
The DG ISPR, while speaking during a press conference in Rawalpindi on Monday, said: “Digital terrorism is being done on social media. The army is standing up against terrorists and digital terrorists. The time has come for the entire nation to stand up against them.”
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Lieutenant General Chaudhry said that unfortunately, serious issues were also being politicised in Pakistan, presenting Azm-e-Istehkam as an example.
“Azm-e-Istehkam is a comprehensive and integrated counter-terrorism campaign, not a military operation per se as it is being presented,” the DG ISPR said during a press conference in Rawalpindi.
Recalling that an Apex Committee — the country’s top security body — meeting was held on June 22 over Azm-e-Istehkam, he said that the statement following the huddle noted that “we have made an anti-terrorism policy with national consensus”.
The DG ISPR, addressing concerns over the campaign, said that no-go areas do not exist across the country, clarifying that there would be no more displacements due to Azm-e-Istehkam.
As there was much hue and cry over the newly announced campaign, the army’s spokesperson informed journalists that the Prime Minister’s Office released a statement on June 24 to clarify the matter.
“Azm-e-Istehkam is not a military operation. Why is Azm-e-Istehkam being made controversial? There’s a strong lobby which wants the objectives of Azm-e-Istehkam not to be fulfilled. It is being politicised.”
“Why did a mafia, political mafia, and an illegal mafia say that they would not let this [campaign] happen?” he questioned, adding that a certain political mafia wants to make Azm-e-Istehkam controversial.
Providing statistics over the ongoing operations, he said that the army is conducting four to five operations per hour on a daily basis — clarifying that the war against terrorism was already in full form.
The security forces conducted 22,409 intelligence-based operations this year, he said, explaining further that armed forces, police, intelligence agencies, and other law enforcement agencies are conducting more than 112 operations daily.
