Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said on Tuesday that the federal government will satisfy Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) concerns regarding the recently announced anti-militancy operation Azm-e-Istehkam.
Addressing reporters at a press conference in Lahore, the minister said the proposal to launch the operation would be placed before the federal cabinet today and then before parliament.
“We will make an agreement between the parties. Opposition parties and allies. We will give them enough time to discuss the problem. Whatever their questions or problems, they will be answered satisfactorily.”
The government announced a new counter-terrorism operation last week, saying it would use the full force of the country’s resources, including military, diplomatic and legislative powers, to fight the militants.
In response, PTI, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Amami National Party (ANP) and others expressed concern about the new military operation and demanded parliamentary certainty before taking such a decision and opposed the operation.
After much criticism, the federal government issued a policy statement saying “no major military operations are underway” in the country.
“The new concept of maintaining stability called Azm-e-Istehkam is misunderstood and equated with kinetic practices like Zarb-e-Azab, Rah-e-Najaat and others,” the Prime Minister said.
The minister said that several anti-terrorist operations have been conducted among the press and now a new operation will be launched.
Regarding the opposition’s opposition to the idea, he said that four prime ministers attended the high-level committee meeting and none of them were against the operation.
Khawaja said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur disagreed.
“This operation has no political intention,” he said, adding that the government was keen to fight growing terrorism. It should support Operation Azm-e-Istehkam.
The National Action Plan, which was formulated after the Army Public School (APS) incident, states that the situation today is very different compared to what it was then.
“Terrorists have captured the FATA region. The FATA region has become a no-go region, which is not the case now,” he said, adding, “government records have been created in these regions now.”
Khawaja said that 5,000 to 6,000 Taliban terrorists have settled here and prominent leaders have also been pardoned.
“The move is terrible. It does not bring peace, but breaks it.
Asif said that all the three parties opposing the operation took a stand to protect the vote bank and wanted them to speak for the country and not for the vote bank.
Talking about the previous job, the minister said that there are relocations. However, he stressed that the current action will be based on common sense.
“If the operation has been agreed upon, then an agreement will be reached,” he said.
He also said that the support of all institutions is needed in the current environment.
Minister Asif said that he went to Afghanistan to discuss issues related to terrorism in Pakistan and many others went there.
“The Kabul government has expressed cooperation, but no concrete progress has been made.”
