‘Illegal political mafia’ sabotaging comprehensive counter-terrorism operation: DG ISPR

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif on Monday said that a “massive, illegal political mafia” in the country was trying to sabotage the state’s Azm-i-Istehkam (Resolve for Stability) operation to fulfil its vested interests.

Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, the military’s spokesperson said that the purpose of his presser was to “clarify the army’s stance on some important topics”, amid the recent rise of “organised propaganda” against the armed forces based on “false and concocted news”.

Responding to a question regarding the potential of displacement in key areas as a result of the said operation, Lt Gen Sharif said that “very important issues were being sacrificed on the altar of politics”, adding that Azm-i-Istehkam was one such example.

He stressed that it was a “comprehensive counter-terrorism campaign” launched through national consensus and was “not just a military operation as it was being portrayed”.

Last month, the federal government approved the operation to counter a sharp rise in terrorist attacks across the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

“A narrative is being built that the operation would displace people […] but the purpose of the operation was only to reinvigorate the already in-place National Action Plan (NAP),” the DG ISPR said, adding that the document of the operation clearly mentioned that.

“A massive, illegal, political mafia rose to sabotage the operation and its first move was to make the operations controversial”.

Without naming who he was referring to, Lt Gen Sharif added that a “very strong lobby” had a “vested interest” because of which it didn’t want the NAP to succeed, adding that the entity in question was “receiving a lot of money” to subvert the operation.

“The stakes in [sabotaging] this operation are very high, and it’s not based on any ideology but involves a lot of money,” he said.

“A massive illegal, political mafia rose to sabotage the operation and the first move of that mafia was to make the operations controversial through false and fake arguments.”

He said if Operation Azm-i-Istehkam was properly implemented, it would not only eliminate terrorism but also lead to societal and national uplift.

Questioned about an alleged audio leak of TTP chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, the DG ISPR questioned what brand of Islam the militant was preaching that involved blowing up schools, colleges, hospitals, and homes.

“[Such narratives and actions] will be taken to their logical end,” he said, adding that they “only strengthened our resolve that Azm-i-Istehkam was necessary” for the country’s stability and security.

Pointing to the National Action Plan’s 14 points, he said kinetic operations were “under way in a splendid manner” with “four to five operations under way in every hour”.

He said the problem was present in the implementation of the plan’s other points. DG Sharif said it was decided in 2014 and 2021 that Counter-Terrorism Departments would be established at the provincial levels and they would be responsible for leading operations against terrorism.

The DG ISPR said the National Action Plan also talked about the regularisation and registration of religious seminaries but only a bit over 16,000 were and thus the status of 50 per cent was unknown.

“Does the army have to do this?” he questioned.

The DG ISPR said that all political parties had also decided to end the “illegal spectrum”. “This illegal spectrum is felt and seen everywhere in daily life and it hides a major illegal economy through which the criminal system and terrorism operate,” he explained.

He said the requirement of the illegal spectrum was a “soft state” and the solution to it was the National Action Plan, adding that eliminating the illegal spectrum would lead to societal benefits overall instead of solely curbing terrorism.

“There is a vested interest that doesn’t want this to happen and they’re making a lot of money.”

Bannu violence

Questioned about the weekend’s violence during a peace rally in Bannu and the alleged firing by security forces, DG Sharif mentioned last week’s terrorist attack on Bannu Cantonment that martyred eight military personnel.

He said the locals had demanded carrying out a peace march the next day and it was agreed that there would be no anti-state slogans carried out. “But when the peace march began, some specific negative elements joined with it,” he added.

He said the rally marched through the point of the terrorist attack and “chanted slogans against the army and the state and pelted stones”, adding that some armed individuals were already part of the march “who [opened] fire because of which there were injuries”.

DG Sharif said a temporary wall erected was also torn down and the supply depot was looted.

“This is how it happened. The army’s response was as per SOP (standard operating procedure) and as per orders. When the May 9 incident happened, a specific political group, a chaotic crowd, began doing propaganda that why didn’t the army stop them.”

DG Sharif said the army’s system was “very clear”, adding that if there was a military situation then there “are very clear [directions] and the officers conducted themselves according to it”.

He said if a “chaotic crowd” set upon a military installation then it was first “given a clear warning”, then aerial firing was carried out and “if it still does not stop then it is treated how it should be.”

DG Sharif said security forces had thus conducted aerial firing as per the above code. “The issue is why this happened. This happened because your legal and judicial system, when it gives leeway to the perpetrators and facilitators of May 9 and doesn’t bring them to justice then discord, mob mentality and fascism will further increase in the country.”

The DG ISPR said riot control and law and order were the province government’s responsibility and not the military’s.

“Miscreants join a crowd and open fire and kill people, so this responsibility is of the provincial government and administration. So it does not make sense that what protest is one political party carrying out against its own provincial government?”

DG Sharif said protests should definitely take place and the nation had a right to express its anger at terrorist incidents.

Questioned about the recent sit-in by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), he said the issue at its core was about Palestine. “This is a very important and sensitive issue. It should be clear that the state and army have a clear stance on the issue of Palestine: it is genocide and unacceptable.”

He said Pakistan had sent over 1,100 tonnes of aid to Palestine.

DG Sharif said the government and institutions were trying to resolve the issue of the TLP sit-in through dialogue without violence considering the sensitivity of the matter.

“Meanwhile, fake news and propaganda began that they (TLP) were brought here by the institution itself. For what purpose?”

He questioned if the military would be blamed for every other protest. “The problem is that unfortunately fake news and propaganda have become so common and there is no accountability for it.”

The DG ISPR questioned if the use of force to break up the TLP sit-in would have assuaged everyone that the military was not behind it. “We have got into such negative sort of thinking that we come up with all sorts of conspiracy theories,” he added.

Digital terrorism

Questioned about criticism of and the narrative against the army and its leadership on social media, DG Sharif said: “What is happening is digital terrorism.”

He said digital terrorists used the tools of cell phones, computers, falsehood and propaganda to impose their will on society, the same as regular terrorists.

The DG ISPR questioned the lack of any action against such individuals despite their activities against the leadership of the state and other institutions. “Instead of the courts and regulations moving forward against them, they’re given further space and they’re made heroes in the name of freedom of expression,” he said.