RAWALPINDI, Nov 03 (APP): Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has said that the decision regarding the Gaza peacekeeping force will be made by the government and parliament.
In an informal chat with journalists, the DG ISPR said that Pakistan is not only sovereign in formulating its own policies but is also fully prepared to defend its borders and its people.
He said that the armed forces do not wish to get involved in politics and therefore should be kept away from it.
He said that around 1,667 terrorists have so far been killed in operations against the Fitna al-Khwarij. The security forces conducted 62,113 operations this year, mostly in Balochistan, in which 582 military personnel have embraced martyrdom.
He went on to say that during the recent Pakistan–Afghanistan conflict, 206 Afghan Taliban were killed, while 112 terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Khwarij were also eliminated.
He said that during the past three to four months of cross-border incursions from Afghanistan, several terrorists were killed, of whom about 60% were Afghan nationals.
Terming the elimination of terrorism essential, he said that Afghanistan’s internal conditions are irrelevant in this context. He said that drug smugglers are interfering in Afghan politics and that large quantities of drugs are being smuggled into Pakistan from Afghanistan. Criminal and terrorist networks are creating obstacles to curbing crime and smuggling, he added.
Lt Gen Chaudhry said that terrorists collect money (tax) in the name of “ushr”. The TTP, he noted, is an extension of the Afghan Taliban as it has pledged allegiance to their leader.
He said that the Afghan Taliban are settling terrorists belonging to Fitna al-Khwarij in densely populated areas to provide them with protective cover.
The DG ISPR said that India is preparing another false-flag operation in the deep sea. “India may attempt anything on land, sea, or air — but it should know that the response this time will be harsher than before,” he vowed.
Lt Gen Ahmed Chaudhry said that Pakistan’s response to provocations from Afghanistan has been swift, and efforts are underway to resolve issues with the Afghan government. “Pakistan’s one-point agenda is that Afghan soil should not be used against us,” he remarked.
He said that poppy was cultivated on 12,000 acres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but in Tirah Valley, poppy cultivation was destroyed through drone, ANF, and FC operations.
He said that profit per acre from poppy cultivation is estimated between Rs 1.8 million to Rs 3.2 million, and that local politicians and residents are also involved. He said that the Afghan Taliban also protects these cultivators because the opium is transported to Afghanistan, where it is converted into crystal meth (Ice) and other drugs.
Responding to a question, he said that matters related to the imposition of the Governor’s Rule fall under the government’s authority.
To another query, he said that the number of madrassas has risen from 48,000 in 2014 to over 100,000 today.