Clear strategy in place to counter terrorism, eliminate facilitators: DG ISPR

ISLAMABAD, Nov 2 (APP): Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has said that Pakistan has a clear and comprehensive strategy to counter terrorism, which includes eliminating terrorists and their facilitators operating inside the country.

In an interview with Reuters, the DG ISPR said that a key component of the strategy was to eliminate all facilitators of terrorism operating within Pakistan. He said that the incompetent and indifferent provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had also been among the factors facilitating terrorism.

He said security forces were conducting around 200 intelligence-based operations daily against terrorists, stressing that Pakistan would continue its efforts along this course.

He said Pakistan did not subscribe to the approach of attributing all its internal problems to external factors, unlike India, acknowledging that some aspects of terrorism needed to be addressed domestically.

Afghanistan was the primary base from which terrorist activities against Pakistan were being carried out, he added.

He said terrorist leadership, training camps and launchpads were present in Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan also needed to tackle certain internal factors contributing to terrorism.

Referring to the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the DG ISPR said security forces were conducting intelligence-based operations (IBOs) rather than any large-scale military operation in the province.

He said Pakistan had accumulated extensive counterterrorism experience over the past 20 years, which was unmatched by that of any other country or military.

He said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had suffered the most from terrorism and deserved lasting peace and stability.

Paying tribute to the people of the province, he described them as courageous and an important part of Pakistani society.

He said no one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opposed counterterrorism operations, adding that opposition came from individuals who had links with terrorist groups.

Responding to a question about the removal of the provincial government, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said it was a political matter that politicians were better placed to address. However, he said the information available to them indicated that the change of government had taken place in accordance with constitutional and legal procedures.

The DG ISPR said terrorists, acting at the behest of their handlers, were attempting to undermine development and infrastructure projects in Balochistan.

He said terrorist groups were targeting not only mining activities but also LPG trucks, schools and teachers, besides attempting to destroy bridges and railway lines to disrupt economic activities.

He said that terrorists deliberately targeted every activity or facility capable of providing employment opportunities and economic empowerment to local communities.