DG ISPR blames K-P lapses for terror surge | The Express Tribune

PESHAWAR:

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Friday criticised the past politicisation of counterterrorism operations and the repatriation of Afghan refugees, saying it had created space for anti-state elements to regroup in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and fuelled a resurgence of attacks in the province.

Speaking at a press conference at Corps Headquarters in Peshawar, Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, he said Pakistan’s National Action Plan (NAP), first formulated after the 2014 APS attack and revised in 2021, has not been fully implemented beyond kinetic operations.

“No solid efforts were made to strengthen the legal system, madrasa reforms, and equipping the CTD, especially in K-P,” he said, adding there are some 4,355 religious seminaries in K-P, of which about 55 per cent are only registered.

He recalled that in 2021, the then-government “removed certain provisions from the plan — despite progress in those areas — and introduced a revised version.” All parties recommitted to enforcing the plan, “yet the implementation remains absent.”

Without naming any party, he attributed the worsening security situation in K-P to internal lapses. “The provincial government has fallen into the terror-crime nexus,” he said, referring to illegal activities such as narcotics trade and non-custom-paid vehicles that “allowed lawlessness to flourish and terrorism to breed.”

“When the suggestion was made to seal the Pak-Afghan border, there were people in power who opposed it — only to keep their criminal activities going,” he added. “Terrorism exists today because we are not following the National Action Plan.”

DG ISPR said terrorism’s roots lay not just across the border but within Pakistan’s governance failures. “Why is 70 per cent of all terrorist activity in K-P and Balochistan, and not in other two provinces? The answer is good governance,” he said.

He accused the K-P government of politicising counterterrorism and weakening the state’s resolve by seeking negotiations with militants. “Calling for talks with non-state actors is a failure of governance,” he remarked.

Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry insisted talks cannot be held with anti-state elements or Fitnaul Khwarij who kill innocents and attack security forces, and warned that the status quo of addressing terrorism through dialogue “will not be tolerated further.”

He urged the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to support security forces in breaking the political-criminal-terror nexus, disrupting smuggling and illicit trafficking that were main causes of terrorism.

Providing operational statistics, the DG ISPR said incidents of terrorism in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa rose after 2021, resulting counter-terror operations were intensified. He reported that 14,535 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) were conducted in KP during the last year, resulting in 769 terrorists killed.

He said 577 people including 271 security personnel and 165 civilians were martyred during that period. The Army spokesman added that an average of 40 IBOs are being conducted daily in KP, killing about three terrorists per day. Since September 15 of this year, he said, 10,115 IBOs produced 917 terrorists eliminated and 516 fatalities, including 311 soldiers and 73 police personnel.

“The number of terrorists killed this year is higher than in the past 10 years,” he asserted, and questioned why terrorists were not being punished by the courts in K-P.

The DG ISPR defended the precision of operations and said extra care is taken to avoid collateral damage. “Our martyrs are our pride. The army officers of Pakistan lead from the front for the safety of our people in anti-terrorism operations that was hardly seen in world,” he said.

He warned facilitators of “Fitna al Khwarij” to surrender them to the state or prepare for robust military action.

He said facilitators “have no option but to cooperate with the security forces to eliminate these terrorists or face forceful action.”

He reiterated that facilitation of Fitnaul Khwarij is unacceptable and vowed the campaign against terrorism will continue despite political distractions and negative propaganda in KP.

“Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the people of Pakistan have borne the brunt of terrorism with bravery and steadfastness and their sacrifices will not go to waste,” he said. “The war against terrorism is a battle for our survival and will be fought collectively.”

The DG ISPR claimed that elements inside Afghanistan, including Indian-sponsored proxies and non-state actors were being used to launch attacks inside Pakistan.

He said border security is a shared responsibility between countries but accused actors across the western border of facilitating Fitnaul Khawarij, smuggling and illicit narcotics trade which are making negative effects in Pakistan.

Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry warned that propagandists who criticise anti-terror operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa while advocating illicit trade and smuggling are tantamount of supporting infiltration of unwanted elements involved in subversive acts in K-P.

He vowed that operations against the crime-terror nexus and illicit narcotics trafficking will continue until Fitnaul Khwarij are defeated at all costs.

He described Afghanistan as a neighbour and brotherly country, adding that Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for three decades and facilitated transit trade and medical assistance to Afghans.

Referring to the Doha agreement, he said the interim Afghan government has a responsibility to ensure Afghan soil is not used against Pakistan. Pakistan has raised terrorism concerns with Afghan authorities at different levels, citing the recent visits to Afghanistan by Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar and Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry warned that Pakistan will protect the lives and property of its citizens and will not allow anyone to challenge the writ of the state.

He also reiterated that weapons and ammunition worth an estimated $7.2 billion were left in Afghanistan after the US withdrawal that fanned terrorism in the region and warned these arms could also be used by terrorists anywhere in world for monetary gains.

Reiterating that the armed forces should not be dragged into politics, he described May 9 as a “black day” when the government and security installations were attacked and said those responsible are being prosecuted under law.

He also stressed the need for a strong judicial system to counter offences on social media.

Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan remains resolute in fight against terrorism. “We fight for Pakistan and support the democratic parliamentary system,” and warned that no individual or group will be allowed to politicize the blood of martyrs.

He said nefarious propaganda was behind terrorism in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and great responsibilities rest on all stakeholders to work together to reject such propagandists imperative for peace and economic prosperity of the country.