ISLAMABAD - The military top brass yesterday reaffirmed the resolve to defeat designs of hostile intelligence agencies and their agents who provide shelter and refuge to the terrorists.
“Pakistan has achieved significant successes in operation Zarb-e-Azb, but this war against terrorism is complex which requires steadfast and unified response”, Army Chief General Raheel Sharif told his commanders on Wednesday.
According to ISPR, Army Chief stated that the Armed Forces will defeat the nefarious designs of Pakistan’s enemies eliminating every terrorist from the soil.
Chairing the Corps Commanders Conference in Rawalpindi, he said that the terrorists are being funded externally by hostile intelligence agencies and have their sympathisers at home, who provide them shelter and refuge. He said that Pakistan has achieved significant successes in Operation Zarb-e-Azb, but the war against terrorism is complex, which requires steadfast and unified response.
The Army Chief said that resilience of the nation and professionalism of the security forces are the real assets to bring enduring peace to Pakistan.
The conference took a holistic review of internal and regional security situation, including peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan and security of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The conference also discussed timely and dignified return of Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs).
Pakistan which has achieved significant milestones in the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb against terrorists but facing a new challenge of cross border attacks from those elements that escaped the operation and had established their safe havens in Afghanistan.
The recent attack on Bacha Khan University, Charsadda was also a brainchild of the remnants of TTP who fled into Afghanistan and off and on mounting attacks to destabilise Pakistan.
Despite Islamabad’s repeated request to Kabul and the US forces in Afghanistan no significant cooperation has been forthcoming.
Recently, both Pakistan and Afghanistan have reestablished military to military cooperation which analysts hoped would help the two nations to tackle the challenge.
Similarly, Pakistan as part of the Quadrilateral Group is also facilitating in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan that seeks to reestablish lasting peace and stability in the region.
Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz while inaugurating the third meeting of Quadrilateral Group in Islamabad on February 6 emphasised the need for political solution of the long drawn Afghan conflict. Foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry on Tuesday informed the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs that the Quadrilateral Group is making serious efforts to unite all factions of Afghan Taliban insurgents.
He expressed the hope that Taliban would soon join the Afghan-led and Afghan owned peace process, adding, that the four nations have agreed to give the peace talks a chance.
Contrary to his expectations, Rahimullah Yousafzai, a renowned journalist and expert on Afghanistan as one of three experts told the National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs the same day that he does not expect much from the peace and reconciliation process.
He was of the view that the Unity Government in Afghanistan is divided over engaging Taliban insurgents with President Ashraf Ghani supporting the process while the Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah is opposed to the process.
He warned that Pakistan should avoid making any firm commitment in bringing Taliban to the negotiating table because of his fears that the Afghan government will eventuality again blame Pakistan in case of any failure in this regard.