Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the Director-General (DG) of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), recently held a press conference to discuss the country’s fight against terrorism.
During the conference, he disclosed that as the nation battled a fresh wave of terrorism, law enforcement officials had confirmed contacts between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned organisation, Baloch insurgents, and foreign intelligence agencies.
The actions taken by Pakistan’s government and military in the fight against terrorism were emphasised by Major General Chaudhry, who also provided updates on the devastating attack on a mosque earlier this year in Peshawar’s Police Lines neighbourhood.
The ISPR DG confirmed that the attack’s suicide bomber was a member of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and received his training in Afghanistan, and that the attack’s organisers had been detained.
The military spokesperson also addressed India’s anti-Pakistan propaganda, noting India’s numerous Line of Control (LoC) ceasefire violations this year.
He continued by saying that while India had not done the same, Pakistan had frequently invited UN observers to the LoC.
He forewarned that India’s belligerent intentions and unfounded accusations would not be able to alter the course of history and that Pakistani forces would respond forcefully to any adventure India planned.
The current scenario of terrorism in Pakistan was also covered by Major General Chaudhry, who noted that despite there being no no-go zones there, terrorists were still upsetting the peace.
He emphasised that there had been 436 incidents this year, leading to 293 martyrdoms and 523 injuries.
The ISPR DG also disclosed that 137 security officials have been martyred and 117 have been injured so far this year. The attackers of an attack on the Karachi police chief’s office had been apprehended.
In addition, Major General Chaudhry gave a progress report on the building of the fence separating Pakistan from Afghanistan, saying that 85% of the work on the fence’s border with Iran and 98% of the 2,611-kilometer-long fence had been finished.
He added that 95% of the people who had been displaced due to terrorism had returned home, and that mines had been removed from 65% of the area in tribal lands.
The ISPR DG concluded by emphasising that no person or organisation would be permitted to impose their own laws and that efforts to sabotage the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other projects were being thwarted.
He emphasised that after cutting the army’s budget, various social welfare programmes had been announced and that the navy and air force had taken part in relief efforts.
Major General Chaudhry gave the populace the assurance that the path to enduring peace had begun and that Pakistan would keep up the fight against terrorism until every terrorist had been vanquished.
