Pakistan has done enough, time for US, Afghanistan to ‘do more’: DG ISPR

• Army spokesperson says no organised infrastructure of a terrorist organisation in country

• Says Saad Rafique’s statement irresponsible, unwarranted

• ‘India does not want Pakistan to succeed in war on terror’

The chief military spokesman on Thursday, while addressing a press briefing on the national and regional security situation, said it is time Afghanistan and the US do more for Pakistan.

Director General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor, referring to the United States’ demands to act against the alleged presence of terrorist elements in Pakistan, clarified again that “no organised infrastructure of any banned organisation is present in Pakistan. We have fought an imposed and imported war twice in Pakistan, and now we cannot do any more for anyone.”

“Whatever we are doing, and we will do, is solely for the people of Pakistan. The aid we received (from the US) was reimbursement for the support we gave to the coalition for its fight against al-Qaeda. Had we not supported the US and Afghanistan, they would never have been able to defeat al-Qaeda,” he added.

“There are no facilitators [of terrorist groups] in Pakistan and we have gone a long way towards supporting peace in the region,” he insisted, reiterating Pakistan’s stance on the US’s repetitive demand for the country to “do more”.

About the Haqqani network, Ghafoor stated there was no organised terror network inside Pakistan. “The US and Afghan authorities are well aware that Pakistan tackled the Haqqanis too. They [allegations of safe havens] are no more valid.”

IGNORES QUESTION ON ARMY’s ALLEGED ROLE IN NAWAZ’s OUSTER:

Interestingly, the military spokesperson chose not to respond to the allegations levelled by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz that the army was involved in his ouster.

“We will continue to have silence on this. The armed forces are well aware of the threats and challenges we are facing, and our achievements against them; thus we will not be distracted,” the DG ISPR said.

He added: “Political activity is ongoing. It is for the people to decide for themselves if there is a conspiracy in the country, and if they believe there is one, they should tell us what it is.”

Discussing measures taken by Pakistan to stop cross-border infiltration of terrorists, Ghafoor said: “We have started the construction of forts and posts on the Afghan border for effective border management—what more does the US and Afghanistan want from us?”

“No country is more interested in Afghan peace than us, as we know that peace there [Afghanistan] means peace in Pakistan,” the DG ISPR stressing, adding that the US needs to check India’s role in the Afghan region.

“No amount of coercion can work — it is only trust-based cooperation that can bring enduring peace to the region,” he said

“What kind of friends are we that we are being given notices [by the US]?” he asked, adding that while Pakistan Army was willing to work with its friends, it cannot compromise on its respect.

On the relations with Kabul, the military spokesman stressed the need for bilateral military-to-military engagement. “I won’t say the engagement is ideal but there has been an improvement after army chief’s visit to Afghanistan,” he said.

Discussing the Indian army’s recent claims that it infiltrated Pakistan’s borders, Maj Gen Ghafoor said: “India recently claimed that 10 of their soldiers came in Pakistan’s territory and killed Pakistani soldiers. But this is all false propaganda for their domestic audience to take the focus off the effective political struggle they are facing for Kashmir’s freedom.”

“You cannot lure us into such unprofessional undertakings,” he said.

The DG ISPR also thanked all media outlets for not giving in to Indian propaganda and running the “false” story regarding Indian infiltration into Pakistan. He emphasised media’s vital role in this “fifth-generation” war. “We have established state’s writ across the country. The law and order situation has evidently improved, particularly in Karachi,” he said.

‘INDIA LOOKS TO REDUCE RELEVANCE OF PAKISTAN’S GESTURES’:

Commenting on India’s complaints on Kulbushan Jadhav’s meeting with his mother and wife, Maj Gen Ghafoor said: “India always looks to reduce the relevance of any gestures that Pakistan makes. However, every effort that anti-Pakistan elements make, we will counter.”

“The Foreign Office has given a detailed response [to the Indian accusations]. Even if we do something as a good gesture, the Indian media will [paint] it in a negative light. We allowed Jadhav to meet his family as a responsible state—if we were irresponsible, we would have given in to Indian pressure and allowed consular access to him,” the DG ISPR said.

“This will not impact the case at all,” he concluded.

Discussing the army’s presence on the borders, he said: “We have fought well on western borders—despite the threats that linger on the eastern border—but danger has not subsided yet.”

“When we started action in FATA, the troublemakers turned to Balochistan,” he observed.

“[However,] the army took the situation in Balochistan into account and the army chief presented the Khushal Balochistan programme on November 15,” he said.

He added that the purpose of the programme was to provide resources to help speed up development, provide security, carry out action against terrorism, and cleanse the region of separatist elements.

“As a result of the programme, over 2,000 Baloch nationalists have given up their arms,” he stated.

Ghafoor said that the military has formulated a specific section in the army for the physical protection of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). “Our job relating to CPEC is only with regards to security,” he explained.

SAAD’S STATEMENT ‘EXTREMELY IRRESPONSIBLE’:

Discussing Railways Minister Saad Rafique’s remarks regarding junior officers’ apparent lack of commitment to the army chief’s orders, the DG ISPR said, “The statement was extremely irresponsible and unwarranted, as it targets the chain of command. The Pakistan Army is a disciplined institution, and the army chief’s orders are followed without question.”

He added: “The army takes pride in its discipline. These remarks should not have been made.”

‘NO ROGUE ELEMENTS IN PAKISTAN ARMY’:

When asked about former president Pervez Musharraf’s recent statements regarding “rogue elements” being responsible for Benazir’s death, the army spokesman said, “I am the spokesperson for the sitting army chief and the media should ask Musharraf to defend his own statements. As of now, I can say that there are no rogue elements within the Pakistan Army.”

FAIZABAD PROTESTERS:

Asked that a Rangers official distributed envelopes among the Faizabad protesters, he said that it was done on the instructions of the Prime Minister’s Office.

“A two-star officer was handed the responsibility of resolving the [Faizabad protest] issue. In the hindsight, there are many comments on the matter, but it was a sensitive issue and was done on the PM’s instructions.”

On a lighter note, he added, “Do you really think we are so naive that we would give Rs1,000 to the protestors? It was done to normalise the situation—that’s what is important.”

‘AHSAN SENT 100 CASES TO MILITARY COURTS’:

While taking a jibe at the interior minister, the DG ISPR said Ahsan Iqbal, on the order of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, immediately sent over 100 cases to the military courts.

Ghafoor, however, said that Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s had drawn the Prime Minister’s attention towards a slump in the transfer of cases to the military courts.

“As far as military courts are concerned, the first tenure was successful. In the second tenure, the interior minister passed more than 100 cases in November,” he said.

He told reporters that most of the suicide bombers were from Afghanistan, adding that a large number of attacks have been foiled.

“Thanks to our intelligence agencies, we have been able to avert 483 attacks in 2017 alone,” he said, “of which, 254 were averted in K-P and FATA.”

Expressing his gratitude to the intelligence agencies, he said, “People don’t know about the attacks averted because those are never really discussed.”

‘UNITED WE RISE’:

Towards the end of the press conference, the army spokesperson shared a special message from General Qamar Javed Bajwa, which said: “As there is an established conglomeration of anti-Pakistan forces (state/non-state) attempting to destabilise and weaken Pakistan, we must continue to present a united front to defeat their nefarious designs.”