Army focus on underdeveloped areas of KP, B’stan besides fighting terrorism: DG ISPR

ISLAMABAD: Director General (DG), Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Monday said the Pakistan Army besides counter-terrorism security operations was also undertaking massive social uplift activities in length and breadth of the country in the areas of education, health, infrastructure, agriculture and relief work to help the local people.

The ISPR DG made these remarks during a news conference held here to provide details of the counter-terrorism operations that the security forces performed during the current year.

Lieutenant General Chaudhry said the Pakistan Army was particularly focused on the underdeveloped areas of KP and Balochistan, along with Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and other areas.

“The security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) conducted 23,622 small and large-scale intelligence-based operations in the country”, the DG ISPR said. “Out of the total, 2,045 operations were carried out over the last 15 days.”

He added that during the operations conducted over the last 15 days, “24 terrorists” were eliminated.

“It is important to mention that to fight terrorism, the Pakistan Army, intelligence, police, and other law enforcement agencies conduct more than a hundred operations daily,” he said.

Speaking about the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), he said that the Government of Pakistan had recently notified the group as “Fitna al-Khawarij”.

“From now on, we will use the term Fitna al-Khawarij to refer to the TTP, while all terrorists associated with the group would be termed Kharji (outcasts)”, he said.

“This is because it is a mischief-making group; it’s neither an ideology nor has anything to do with Islam or Pakistan”, he asserted.

He explained that during the first seven months of the year 2024, 139 soldiers of the Pakistani security forces embraced martyrdom.

“The entire nation pays tribute to the brave martyrs and their families,” he said.

“This shows that the Pakistani security forces, law enforcement agencies, and intelligence agencies were entirely focused on making the country’s internal and border security certain and lasting”.

He further said that Pakistan’s fight against terrorism will continue until the last terrorist is eliminated.

He further said that the armed forces of Pakistan are standing with the just struggle of the valiant people of Kashmir for their right to self-determination.

This resolve was expressed by Director General ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry in Rawalpindi this afternoon, on the occasion of Youm-e-Istehsal.

He said inhuman lockdown, illegal Indian actions to change the demographic structure of the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir as well as grave human rights violations are an open transgression of international laws and a threat to the regional peace. He said the resolution of the Kashmir dispute in light of the UN resolutions and as per the aspirations of Kashmiris is inevitable for durable peace and stability in the region.

The ISPR Chief further said that the armed forces of Pakistan present tribute to the supreme sacrifices of martyrs of Kashmir on this day of Youm-e-Istehsal.

He said the government of Pakistan, on a humanitarian basis, reiterates its political and moral support to the just struggle of the people of Kashmir against oppression and illegal occupation.