Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Tuesday gave a comprehensive overview of counter-terrorism measures taken during the last year.
Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, the army’s spokesperson came down hard on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, blaming it for the spike in terrorism.
The ISPR DG has emphatically stated that Pakistan will win the war against terrorism not through appeasement, but by force and strength.
Key takeaways
— Lt Gen Chaudhry said that last year was a landmark and consequential year in the fight against terrorism, as more than 75,000 intelligence-based operations were carried out across the country.
— Referring to 10 major terror incidents that took place last year, the ISPR DG said those involved in them were all Afghans.
— The military’s spokesperson said that 1,200 civilians and security personnel were martyred, while over 2,500 terrorists were killed last year.
— He said that Afghanistan has become the central point from where the terrorists of all types are being nurtured.
— The ISPR DG said that the Afghan Taliban regime provides the base of operation to the terrorist groups, which are being provided financing and patronage by India.
— The ISPR chief said that the Afghan Taliban regime has found a “new hero” in the form of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
— He said sophisticated weapons left behind by the United States are also available to the terrorist groups.
— He, while taking a dig at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said the political-terror nexus is the reason behind the surge in terror incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
— The military’s spokesperson said that PTI is “resisting” counter-terror efforts at every forum and “seeking help from Afghanistan”.
— He said: “We have to win the war against terrorism at all costs. We have to win this war with strength.”
