The Pakistan Army’s spokesperson on Wednesday said that cooperation between political and military leadership of the country helped make nationwide anti-terror military action Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad successful.
In an interview with a private news channel, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) DG Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor thanked the people of Pakistan and the political leadership for their support in making headway in the Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad, terming it an “intelligence-based campaign”.
He said the political and military leadership has combined to make such operations successful. “Pakistan Army, the government institutions and the nation have collectively fought the menace of terrorism in the country,” he commented.
“35,000 units of illegal weapons were recovered during Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad,” he said while adding that 75,000 covert operations were carried out during the past two years. The military’s spokesperson further said 345 terrorists were sentenced to death by military courts in the same period.
He said the end goal of the operation is to maintain the writ of the state as the prerogative for the use of force is held only with the state.
He said that people of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) have faced countless difficulties during the war on terror but the time has come to focus on the development of terror-affected areas.
Maj Gen Ghafoor said, “The new war is about progress. If anyone wants to wage a war now, it has to be for education, health and employment … we are taking steps for the rehabilitation of tribal areas.”
The ISPR DG said that Pakistan wants peaceful relations with all its neighbouring countries including India. He said issues and problems will not be resolved through threat and Pakistan is capable to respond to any misadventure befittingly.
He also said peace in Kabul would translate into peace in Pakistan, adding that instability in the neighbouring was not in their interest.
“We have seen a spillover of terrorism from Afghanistan in our country,” he said.
When asked about the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), he said, “I’m sure their leadership wants to work for the betterment of the country and will work with the government to this end.”