Azm-e-Istehkam campaign designed with consensus: ISPR

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has clarified that Azm-e-Istehkam campaign has been designed with national consensus to eliminate menace of terrorism from the country. Addressing a news conference in Rawalpindi today, he said elements having vested interests intend to make Azam-e-Istehkam controversial. Quoting a declaration issued by the Prime Minister Office, DG ISPR said Azm-e-Istehkam is a comprehensive and multi-domain counter-terrorism campaign to root out scourge of terrorism from the country. He said campaign is meant to reinvigorate and reenergize the ongoing revised National Action Plan, which was initiated after national consensus across political spectrum. He further said that Azm-e-Istehkam is aimed at energizing already in place intelligence based kinetic operations to root out the facilitation due to terror-crime nexus. It will help establish a secure environment, necessary for economic development and prosperity of the country. Hi ghlighting National Action Plan's 14 points, he said kinetic operations are under way in a splendid manner. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said 22,409 intelligence-based operations were carried out this year in which 398 terrorists were killed, while 137 officers and personnel of the law enforcement agencies embraced martyrdom. Referring to the second point of the revised National Action Plan, the Director General said the capacity of Counter-Terrorism Departments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan needs to be strengthened. He said the revised National Action Plan also calls for regulating seminaries in the country. Turning to the 13th point of the revised National Action Plan, the Director General ISPR said non-customs paid vehicles and smuggling have become a big racket of illegal spectrum, which also facilitate terrorists to operate. He said Afghan nationals go to neighbouring countries on valid travel documents like passports and visa. However, there starts a hue and cry if Pakistan imposes a visa system on its border with Afghanistan. He said they want a soft border to support the illegal spectrum worth billions of rupees. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the security agencies are vigorously acting against illegal spectrum and terror-crime nexus. Replying to a question, he said digital terrorists are hell-bent to weaken the people's trust in the armed forces and there should be stringent laws to check this onslaught on social media. Source: Radio Pakistan