Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), has criticized the politicization of the Azm-e-Istehkam campaign, stating it is a comprehensive counter-terrorism campaign, not a military operation. He emphasized that the campaign is being made controversial by a strong lobby that wants to hinder its objectives.
The DG ISPR provided statistics on ongoing operations, stating that the army is conducting four to five operations per hour daily, with 22,409 intelligence-based operations conducted this year. He clarified that no-go areas do not exist across the country and that there would be no more displacements due to Azm-e-Istehkam.
Regarding the Bannu incident, Lt Gen Chaudhry explained that the army followed its response SOP, and it is the provincial government’s job to control mobs, not the army’s. He also showed footage of the incident and stressed the need for peaceful demonstrations against terrorists.
When inquired about the TTP leader’s audio leak, he assured that the authorities are pursuing the matter. He also discussed the TLP sit-in, stating that the government and institutions are trying to resolve the issue sensitively.
The DG ISPR’s press conference aimed to clarify the Azm-e-Istehkam campaign’s objectives and address concerns. He emphasized the need for national consensus and support to eradicate terrorism.
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