Army looks to consolidate Zarb-e-Azb gains through effective border management

• ISPR DG says life has returned to Karachi after the operation
• Says 19,000 IBOs carried out across the country, 1,200 terrorists eliminated in Karachi alone
• Says number of terrorist facilitators has declined due to public awareness but challenges still remain

ISPR Director General Lt General Asim Bajwa said on the occasion of the two-year anniversary of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, that the operation had been highly successful in eliminating terrorists from the country. He listed major achievements of the operation so far, also mentioning progress made on various fronts.

Lt General Asim Bajwa said that the law and order situation has improved and life has returned to Karachi after the targeted operation in the city, but reiterated the operation will continue till complete stability in the city.

The ISPR DG while briefing the media on Wednesday said that 19,000 intelligence based operations have been carried out across the country and 1,200 terrorists have been eliminated in Karachi alone.

He said that targeted killings and crime rate have been reduced in Karachi and that the operation will continue till the logical end.

Bajwa emphasised that the job is not yet finished and that there is still work to be done – including improving the border management mechanism with Afghanistan as well as clearing restive pockets in some areas of Swat.

Bajwa said some 3,600 square kilometres were cleared in the operation initially, and that the area has now gone up to 4,304 sq km in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and North Waziristan.

“There was recruitment going on in North Waziristan, suicide jackets were spreading throughout the country. That has been controlled,” Bajwa said, and added, “There are just the last few pockets remaining in the Shawal valley.”

The ISPR head said forces recovered “modern weapons” from militants, which he claimed had been stolen from the US troops.

He also revealed the challenges faced in the field, such as the dense forest and the unprecedented height of the Shawal valley and Dattakhel.

“Tribes have been rid of terrorists forever after much difficulty and sacrifices from both locals and the armed forces alike,” he said.

In the past two years, a total of 3,500 terrorists were killed, leaving 992 hideouts destroyed, DG ISPR stated.

Referring to the loss faced by the Pakistan Army during Zarb-e-Azb, Bajwa said, 490 soldiers have been killed thus far.

“Pakistan is not harbouring any terrorists on its soil,” he added.

VANQUISHED FOES AND NEW CHALLENGES:

Border management is still a challenge and management mechanisms are an upcoming focus, said Bajwa.

“There are 1,350 kilometres of open, porous border with Afghanistan just in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, with only eight crossing points in that length,” said Bajwa.

“Strengthening existing crossing points and raising paramilitary forces to bolster border management along the rest of the length is the new challenge,” Bajwa said. “When Zarb-e-Azb started, there was a big debate and fear of blowback,” said Bajwa, adding the intelligence-based operations were an “innovative solution”.

This entailed interrogating captives and information-gathering from locals alike. Bajwa praised the participation of communities.

“Ever since the population started becoming more aware, the numbers of facilitators have been reduced and networks have been broken apart in over 280 such operations.”