Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad completes 4 years of Success, DG ISPR pays tribute to martyrs

As Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad which was launched in 2017, completed its four years, Director General Inter Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar  on Monday said army is capable of thwarting all threats to security and sovereignty of Pakistan irrespective of the cost.

Addressing today, Director General Inter-Services Public Relation (DG ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar said that the operation which is backed by the entire nation, achieved unparalleled success at a monumental cost paid in men and material.

He said that the operation has not only improved the domestic security situation but also enabled Pakistan to appear more stable and reliable on the international stage.

“The tactical intent of the operation was, and is, a peaceful, stable and normalized Pakistan where people’s confidence in the state is restored and terrorists and extremists are reduced completely ineffective by restricting their freedom of action,” DG ISPR said.

While highlighting the role of the public in security operations, Major General Babar Iftikhar added that “While armed forces fight terrorists, terrorism and extremism can only be defeated by the civil law enforcement agencies and society as a whole.”

Pakistan Military Spokesperson said that it is clear that an ideology can only be countered by a superior ideology.

In this context, he added, the efforts involved implementation of the National Action Plan, bringing the tribal areas into the national mainstream, and cutting extremist activities through assisting the government in educational, madrasah and police reforms.

Major General Babar Iftikhar said that Pakistan grand strategy in its war against terrorism was based on four concepts: “Clear, hold, build and transfer.”

Major General Babar Iftikhar said that between 2010 and 2017, various areas were cleared of terrorists after major operations as per the clear and hold phase and the writ of the state was being restored in the tribal areas.

Army Spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar said the armed forces and the masses have been successfully facing national security challenges and will continue to tackle them as a nation in the days to come.

Pakistan Military Spokesperson said in the past four years, more than 375,000 intelligence-based operations (IBO) were carried out under Raddul Fasaad in which the IB, ISI,CTD, MI, police, Rangers and FC all played a key role.

He added that, “Of these, more than 34,000 IBOs were carried out in Punjab; over 150,000 in Sindh, more than 80,000 in Balochistan and in KP, more than 92,000.”

He highlighted that following the operation, more than 5,000 people of the tribal areas have been reintegrated into the national mainstream.

DG ISPR said that the sixth population census was successfully organized following a betterment in the overall security situation. During the census, seven personnel of the armed forces embraced martyrdom, he added.

Speaking on the situation of Karachi, Pakistan Military Spokesperson said that as a result of the successful operation in Karachi, normalcy returned to the city.

He said that Karachi was at the sixth place in the international crime index, and now, it is at the 106th slot.

Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad is a codename of a combined military operation by the Pakistani military in support of local law enforcement agencies to disarm and eliminate the terrorist sleeper cells across all states of Pakistan, started on 22 February 2017.

The operation is aimed to eliminate the threat of terrorism, and consolidating the gains of Operation Zarb-e-Azb which was launched in 2014 as a joint military offensive.

It is further aimed at ensuring the security of Pakistan’s borders. The operation is ongoing active participation from Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Police and other Warfare and Civil Armed Forces managed under the Government of Pakistan. This Operation has been mostly acknowledged after Operation Zarb e Azb.

The operation entailed the conduct of Broad Spectrum Security (Counter Terrorism) operations by Rangers in Punjab, continuation of ongoing operations across the country and focus on more effective border security management.