Any leverage to May 9 perpetrators will further foment chaos, DG ISPR
RAWALPINDI (Destination News);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.”
Addressing a press conference on Monday, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said that there had been a noticeable increase in the propaganda against the army.
While stressing effective steps to stop the spread of fabricated and false information on social media platforms, the DG ISPR said, “The rampant influx of “fake news” targeting the armed forces and their leadership has been ongoing unchecked for a long time, with no one facing any serious consequences so far.”
To eliminate this menace, he said that the law would have to stop the digital terrorists by penalising them. “Instead of the law going after them, they were given more space.”
Some people [who were involved in spreading fake news] have been hailed as heroes in the name of freedom of expression, he added.
The DG ISPR said if they did not stand up against these elements they would gain more ground, benefitting the enemies of Pakistan.
He pointed out that “a foreign group was stationed in Afghanistan, whereas, India was also waiting for the country’s institutions and armed forces to weaken so that it could perpetrate a strike.
Operations,
DG ISPR said that a total of 398 terrorists have been killed while 137 officials were martyred. He added that over 112 operations have been conducted each day in 2024.
Azm-e-Istehkam,
Answering a question about Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, DG ISPR said that the decision was taken in a meeting where all stakeholders were present.
He added that the operation is a comprehensive effort against terrorism and was needlessly politicised.
“The stakes are very high,” DG ISPR said, adding that a lobby does not want revised National Action Plan to succeed.
There can be no talks with rioters, anarchists: ISPR DG
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.
“During these operations, 31 high-value targets have been killed. This year 137 officers and soldiers laid their lives in the operations,” the army’s spokesperson told journalists.
Lt Gen Chaudhry explained that the army had cleared several areas of terrorists but if the governments do not ensure reconstruction of those areas, then the army will have to deploy its forces over there to “hold the area”.
“The army is clearing the areas, holding it, and then it is the provincial government’s task to build and transfer. If you don’t build and transfer to the people, then terrorists will emerge again and you will remain in a vicious cycle of ‘clear and hold’.”
The DG ISPR explained that if such a cycle continues, then it will be easier for certain elements to incite the locals of the area against the army and a false narrative would also be made against the forces.
“In conclusion, Azm-e-Istehkam is a comprehensive campaign against terrorism. If we follow it, it will not just wipe out terrorism, but also the country. The stakes are very high.”
Bannu,
In response to a question about Bannu, DG ISPR recounted the terrorist attack followed by the peace march a day later.
He added that there were ‘certain elements’ that were armed and had raised slogans against the state. He said that the protestors had even looted the supply depot.
The DG ISPR said that the army had responded as per SOPs.
Without naming the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, he said that a party was trying to protest even though it was responsible for civil administration.
Chaudhry also recounted that PTI had responded to May 9 by questioning why the army had not responded. He also criticised courts for being ‘lenient’ towards those involved in May 9.
Noor Wali Mehsud’s audio leak,
When inquired about what action would Pakistan take after Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Chief Noor Wali Mehsud’s audio leak came to the fore, he assured that the authorities were pursuing the matter.
Sources had earlier informed Geo News that the government will not only seek the extradition of terrorists from Afghanistan but will also lodge a strong protest with the Afghan Taliban-led interim administration over the TTP head’s presence in the country and his direct involvement in terrorist attacks inside Pakistan.
A disturbing phone call featuring Noor came to the surface wherein he could be heard giving instructions to his henchmen for attacks in Pakistan.
The other voices in the audio call were identified as local commanders Ahmad Hussain Mehsud alias Ghat Haji, and Saqib Gandapur.
The conversation revolves around the TTP chief’s orders on how to inflame the security situation in the country. In that conversation, he can be heard outlining two main methods for disrupting peace and order in Pakistan.
While talking about the audio call, the Lt Gen said that Mehsud could be heard directing his men to blow up hospitals and schools, but not name him.
“They do not even have the courage to take responsibility for their actions,” he said.
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s
Intimating the journalists about the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) recent sit-in, he said that the government and institutions were trying to resolve the issue keeping in mind the “sensitivity and emotions” of the people as it was related to the Palestinian issue.
He ruled out the establishment’s role in the sit-in and said that tomorrow if Jamaat-e-Islami were to stage a sit-in in Islamabad, people would still claim that the army was behind it.
“There’s so much fake news that people keep saying whatever they want to. Since the protesters cleared the area peacefully, it was being claimed that there’s ‘someone’s hand’ behind it,” he added.
The military’s spokesperson added that the army and government have a very clear stance on the Palestinian issue, stressing that a genocide was underway in Gaza.
“The genocide in Gaza is completely unacceptable. We have sent 1,118 tonnes of aid to Gaza,” he said, vowing continuous support for the oppressed Palestinians.
At least 39,006 Palestinians have been killed and 89,818 have been injured in the Israeli military offensive on Gaza since October 7, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Monday.
