The press conference by Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, clears any ambiguity around Operation Azm e Istehkam. Decades of counter-terrorism efforts have naturally made the locals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s border regions averse to the fight. Earlier fears of displacement due to the operation were also a reason for the locals’ apprehension. However, the government and now the ISPR have made it clear that no displacement is intended. Azm e Istehkam is a counter-terrorism campaign, not a focused military operation.
While this is a difficult time for Pakistan, both economically and security-wise, tough decisions are the only choice to bring back stability. The budget was not welcomed with open arms, but it was obvious that in the face of the fiscal deficit, more taxes had to be imposed. Similarly, a counter-terrorism campaign is not the most desirable thing right now, but there is a need for it, given how quickly the malice is translating into extremism in society and how much political discord is providing cover to terrorists and anti-state factions.
Hundreds of intelligence-based operations so far this year and the elimination of 398 terrorists imply the success of the strategy of intensifying IBOs – a core objective of the said operation. The consensus reached in the apex committee’s meeting on the launch of the operation was later made controversial. It is pointless to play politics around such a core security decision. The contours of the campaign and its objectives are very clear, and the country needs to stand united behind the security forces.
