Rawalpindi: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has emphatically stated that Pakistan will win the war against terrorism not through appeasement, but by force and strength. Giving a comprehensive overview of counter-terrorism measures taken during the last year at a news conference in Rawalpindi, he said there is absolute clarity on this approach.
According to Radio Pakistan, the DG ISPR highlighted that the last year was a landmark in the fight against terrorism, witnessing unprecedented intensity in counter-terrorism efforts. Lieutenant General Chaudhry noted that the global community has also acknowledged Pakistan’s stance on terrorism, particularly with regard to Afghanistan serving as a base for terrorism operations.
He detailed that seventy-five thousand one hundred and seventy-five intelligence-based operations were conducted last year, averaging two hundred and six operations per day. He provided a breakdown, indicating that fourteen thousand six hundred and fifty-eight operations were executed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, fifty-eight thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight in Balochistan, and one thousand seven hundred and thirty-nine in the rest of Pakistan.
Lieutenant General Chaudhry reported that five thousand three hundred and ninety-seven terrorist incidents occurred last year, including three thousand eight hundred and eleven in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He attributed the surge in terror incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to a political-terror nexus.
Referring to ten major terror incidents that took place last year, the DG ISPR mentioned that those involved were all Afghans, and two thousand five hundred and ninety-seven terrorists were killed last year. He stated that the total number of martyrs, including security forces and civilians, was one thousand two hundred and thirty-five, paying tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for Pakistan’s security and future.
The DG ISPR expressed regret that Afghan territory has become a central point from which terrorists are nurtured. He accused the Afghan Taliban regime of providing operational bases to terrorist groups, which are receiving financing and patronage from India. He also pointed out that sophisticated weapons left behind by the United States are available to these terrorist groups.