Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Asim Munir on Friday blamed past negotiations with militants for helping terrorists retrench in the country, echoing the concerns expressed by the National Security Committee (NSC) last week.
During the NSC meeting, civilian and military officials had attributed the recent resurgence of terrorism to a “soft corner” for the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and announced that an “all-out, comprehensive” operation would be launched against terror outfits to eradicate terrorism from the country. Continuing off the meeting, the Army chief and several senior military officials gave an in-camera briefing to lawmakers of the Lower House, detailing the prevailing security situation.
According to lawmakers who attended the briefing, the COAS clarified that the operation in question would not be as expansive as the earlier Zarb-e-Azb and Raddul Fassad. He said the ongoing campaign would include representation from security agencies and all departments of the government. “This is not a new operation but a whole national approach,” he said. “Alhamdulillah, there is no ‘no-go’ area in Pakistan at this time. A large number of martyrs laid down their lives for this success. They shed their blood for the country,” he said, adding that terrorists now had no option except to accept the state’s writ.
“Security forces are ready for permanent peace in the country. In this regard, intelligence-based operations are conducted on a daily basis,” said the Army chief, while also urging national unity. “We should leave the discussion of ‘new’ and ‘old’ Pakistan and talk about ‘our’ Pakistan from now on. Pakistan has no shortage of resources and manpower,” he said, adding that elected representatives should decide how the nation should progress. “The Pakistan Army will fully support Pakistan in its journey of development and success,” he added.
Gen. Munir’s remarks were reportedly widely appreciated among lawmakers, who clapped and banged their desks several times during his briefing.
The briefing, lasting around two hours, also stressed on a three-pronged plan—deterrence, dialogue and development—to combat terrorism. It was followed by a question-and-answer session lasting around one-and-a-half hours.
During the q-and-a, lawmakers reportedly appreciated the efforts of armed forces while questioning the Army chief on the PTI-led government’s strategy of engaging with terrorists through dialogue.