ISLAMABAD, Aug 05 (APP): Director General (DG), Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Monday said the Pakistan Army besides counter-terrorism security operations was also undertaking massive social uplift activities in length and breadth of the country in the areas of education, health, infrastructure, agriculture and relief work to help the local people.
The ISPR DG made these remarks during a news conference held here to provide details of the counter-terrorism operations that the security forces performed during the current year.
Lieutenant General, Ahmed Sharif 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.
“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 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.
Speaking about the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), he said that the Government of Pakistan had recently notified the group as “Fitna al-Khawarij”.
“From now on, we will use the term Fitna al-Khawarij to refer to the TTP, while all terrorists associated with the group would be termed Kharji (outcasts)”, he said.
“This is because it is a mischief-making group; it’s neither an ideology nor has anything to do with Islam or Pakistan”, he asserted.
He explained that during the first seven months of the year 2024, 139 soldiers of the Pakistani security forces embraced martyrdom.
“The entire nation pays tribute to the brave martyrs and their families,” he 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”.
He further said that Pakistan’s fight against terrorism will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary said the anarchy was being spread inside Pakistan from outside on social media, as official visits abroad are protested.
He added that money was invested, and lobbying firms were hired to orchestrate a narrative of despair and chaos against the country.
“Digital terrorists sitting outside are unfortunate and unscrupulous people who spread propaganda against their state, institutions and people for the sake of a few bucks.
The first line of defense against digital terrorism is the law,” he said.
The DG ISPR in response to a query on the rights movement in Balochistan criticised the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and its so-called leadership and termed it as a proxy of terrorist organisations and criminal mafias and “nothing more than that”.
He alleged that the proxy was tasked to defame and spread propaganda against law enforcement agencies taking action against smugglers, criminals, and the “illegal spectrum”, as well as make development projects in the province controversial.
“The method of action is through gathering a mob through foreign funding and a foreign stance, persuade innocent citizens around that mob, challenge the state’s writ and feign innocence when the state responds.”
He termed the Baloch National Gathering a “drama” that was concocted in the past few days in Gwadar.
The BYC kicked off a protest in Gwadar on July 28, following arrests and deadly clashes with security forces, against alleged human rights violations and exploitation of the province’s resources.
He also showed different pictorials and visuals highlighting violent activities and hostilities perpetrated by BYC protestors attacking security forces under the garb of so-called rights protest.
The DG ISPR accused that the protesters blocked roads, pelted pilgrims with stones, burnt tyres and attacked the Frontier Corps, saying that one soldier was martyred by the mob.
“This proxy was exposed under the Baloch Raji Muchi,” he said.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhary on reports of ongoing talks with a certain political party and the army’s position on the May 9 riots, replied that the army had a very clear stance and had already stated during a press conference on May 7.
“Neither has there been any change in this position nor there will be,” he emphasized.
On Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir, the ISPR DG said the resolution of Kashmir issue is indispensable for sustainable peace in the region and Pakistan Armed Forces pay tribute to martyrs of Occupied Kashmir.
“Pakistan Army stands with the struggle of Kashmiris for the right of self-determination. Armed forces are fully alert to ensure national security,” he said
As per instructions of the COAS, he said information technology is an important project for employment of the youth and Pakistan Armed Forces are working according to the mandate given by the government of Pakistan.
“Army has been working for the welfare of the people and will continue to do so. The officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army are not the elite of this country. Should they stop working on education and health because of criticism?”, he queried.
Is Pakistan Army the exclusive army of the world that supports the people and the government in social projects, it happens all over the world, the only difference is that the work of the army is valued there, our problem is that we are political, he added.
“Army does not issue permits for oil that comes from Iran; Army and FC are continuously trying to end illegal activities. Army trying to stop illegal trade. There is a mafia here who does not want the people of Pakistan to develop, our problem is we criticize for political purposes,” he said.
Narrative that is being built, he said which states that a fence was erected and there was security, accusing that anything coming from the border is under the military’s supervision. The reason behind this is to create distrust between the military and the public, he added.
To a question, he said in Gwadar, the writ of the government was established. “Let me make it clear: the Baloch Yekjehti Committee and its so-called leadership have been given the task of discrediting the institutions that are fighting against terrorism, smugglers, and extortionists. They aim to make these institutions controversial by presenting unreasonable demands,” he added.
