ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top national security forum on Saturday announced its plan to launch a comprehensive counterterrorism campaign, Operation Azm-e-Istehkam — or Resolve for Stability — after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led a meeting of the civilian and military leadership to review the ongoing security situation in the country.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant attacks since a proscribed armed network, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), called off a fragile ceasefire with the government in November 2022. Much of the violence was witnessed in the country’s western provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which share a border with Afghanistan where the TTP leaders have reportedly found sanctuary.
While the militants have primarily targeted Pakistani civilians and security forces, they have also threatened the national economy by attacking Chinese nationals working on energy and infrastructure development projects under a multibillion-dollar regional connectivity framework, causing concern in both Beijing and Islamabad.
The Central Apex Committee of the National Action Plan, a high-level forum that includes the army chief, provincial chief ministers and heads of major civil and military law enforcement agencies, convened to discuss the situation before deciding to launch the campaign.
“The Prime Minister approved a reinvigorated and re-energized national counter-terrorism campaign through launching of Operation AZM-E-ISTEHKAM, with consensus of all stakeholders including the Provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, symbolizing the national resolve to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country,” said a statement released after the meeting.
“In the politico-diplomatic domain, efforts will be intensified to curtail the operational space for terrorists through regional cooperation,” it added. “The renewed and full blown kinetic efforts of the armed forces will be augmented by full support from all Law Enforcement Agencies, empowered by effective legislation to address legal voids that hinder effective prosecution of terrorism-related cases and award of exemplary punishments to them.”
The statement said the campaign would also be complemented by socioeconomic measures aimed at addressing the genuine concerns of people and creating an environment that discourages extremist tendencies.
It would also leverage the information space to promote a unified national narrative in support of the efforts to eradicate militancy from the country.
“The forum reiterated that the fight against extremism and terrorism is Pakistan’s war and is absolutely essential for the nation’s survival and well-being,” the statement informed. “The forum resolved that no one will be allowed to challenge the writ of the state without any exception.”
It noted that the apex committee participants also reviewed measures to ensure foolproof security for Chinese nationals in Pakistan.
INVESTOR CONFIDENCE
Earlier, the prime minister emphasized the necessity of developing a strong and comprehensive response to the challenge of militant violence in Pakistan, saying it was not possible for a “soft state” to strengthen its economy since it tends to lose confidence of potential investors.
He made the observation only a day after senior Chinese politician Liu Jianchao said in Islamabad that Pakistan’s security challenges were undermining the confidence of investors from his country.
Liu’s statement reinforced concerns raised by authorities in Beijing following several attacks on Chinese nationals working on energy and infrastructure development projects in Pakistan, including a suicide bombing in March this year that killed five of them.
“For sustainable development in Pakistan, stability and the rule of law are essential,” the prime minister said. “It is our collective responsibility to enforce the writ of the state with full force and without exception.”
“A soft state can never earn the confidence of investors, whether they are domestic or foreign,” he continued. “Therefore, a healthy and strong economy cannot be envisaged in an unstable state plagued by terrorism.”
Sharif maintained fighting militant violence was the joint responsibility of all institutions of the state.
“We have very easily left this matter to the officers and soldiers of our armed forces,” he added. “The provinces and governments have completely absolved themselves of this responsibility. This is the dangerous approach that has developed over the past years.”
He noted this was not the way Pakistan could “end terrorism.”
“After the 18th amendment in the constitution, the provincial governments have a significant role in this effort and have also been provided resources,” he said. “Therefore, I expect that the provinces will play an active part in combating terrorism. Together, God willing, we will eradicate this scourge.”
Sharif said it was important for everyone to take the ownership of the war against militancy, adding that leaving it to just one institution of the state would be a “grave mistake.”
Earlier in the day, Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi also held a meeting to review the security measures for foreign nationals, particularly the Chinese workers in the country.
Pakistan initiates ‘Operation Azm-e-Istehkam’ in national security drive amid escalating militant violence
https://arab.news/w2537
Pakistan initiates ‘Operation Azm-e-Istehkam’ in national security drive amid escalating militant violence
- The counterterrorism drive was announced after PM Sharif warned ‘soft states’ failed to gain investor confidence
- Shehbaz Sharif called it a ‘grave mistake’ only to expect the armed forces to deal with the issue of militant violence
Pakistan raises India's suspension of water-sharing treaty with UNGA president, seeks action
- New Delhi said in April last year it was holding the treaty in abeyance after a gun attack in Indian-administered Kashmir
- Official says such actions threaten lives of 240 million Pakistanis, particularly at a time of climate stress, water scarcity
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has taken up India’s suspension of a decades-old water-sharing treaty with the president of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), urging action over the move that Islamabad said sets "dangerous precedents."
The Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) divides control of the Indus basin rivers between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. India said in April last year it would hold the treaty “in abeyance” after a gun attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed more than 26 tourists. New Delhi blamed the assault on Pakistan, Islamabad denied it.
The attack led to a four-day military conflict between the neighbors last May that say them attack each other with fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery before the United States-brokered a ceasefire. Tensions have remained high between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
During a meeting on the sidelines of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) annual hearing, Pakistan Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani told UNGA President Annalena Baerbock that India's unlawful action constituted a blatant violation of the treaty’s provisions and principles of customary international law.
"Such actions threaten the lives and livelihoods of over 240 million Pakistanis and set dangerous precedents, particularly at a time when climate stress and water scarcity demand cooperation and strict respect for international agreements," he was quoted as saying by the Pakistani information ministry.
The treaty, mediated by the World Bank, grants Pakistan rights to the Indus basin’s western rivers — Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab — for irrigation, drinking, and non-consumptive uses like hydropower, while India controls the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej — for unrestricted use but must not significantly alter their flow.
Highlighting the adverse impacts of climate change, Gilani said countries like Pakistan remain among the most severely affected and underscored the urgency of collective action, climate justice and strengthened international cooperation.
"The United Nations provides an indispensable platform for addressing these interconnected challenges," he said at the meeting.
Gilani, who was leading a six-member parliamentary delegation, this week delivered the national statement at the IPU annual hearing at the UN headquarters, calling for democratic, transparent, and accountable decision-making in order to enhance the UN’s credibility, according to the Senate of Pakistan.
“Parliaments are indispensable partners in ensuring national ownership of international commitments,” he was quoted as saying by the Senate. “Reform is essential. But it must be ‘Reform for All, Privilege for None’.”
The Senate chairman highlighted the continuing importance of the United Nations as the cornerstone of multilateral cooperation, stressing that the organization’s universal membership and Charter-based mandate remain central to promoting global peace and security.
