Rawalpindi (Web Desk): Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Monday said that military’s stance on May 9 violent protests, saying that those involved in the riots must be held accountable.
Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi to brief the nation on security of the country, the DG ISPR provided details of the counter-terrorism operations that the Pakistani security forces performed during the current year.
Lt. General Chaudhry said that that so far, 23,622 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) have been conducted in the ongoing year — of which 2,045 operations were conducted in the last 15 days which resulted in the elimination of 24 terrorists.
He said that over 100 IBOs are conducted by the army and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) on a daily basis.
Recalling last week's government's notification which declared the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as "Fitna al-Khawarij," the DG ISPR said that the militant organisation had nothing to do with Islam.
“From now on, we will use the term Fitna al-Khawarij to refer to the TTP, while all terrorists associated with the group would be termed Kharji (outcasts)”, he said.
“This is because it is a mischief-making group, it’s neither an ideology nor has anything to do with Islam or Pakistan,” he asserted.
“This is because it is a mischief-making group; it’s neither an ideology nor has anything to do with Islam or Pakistan”, he asserted.
On the occasion of Youm-e-Istehsal-e-Kashmir, marking the revocation of Article 370 and 35-A of the Indian Constitution to change the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir's (IIOJK) political and constitutional status five years ago, Lt Gen Chaudhry said that armed forces of Pakistan are standing with the just struggle of the valiant people of Kashmir for their right to self-determination.
“Inhuman lockdown, illegal Indian actions to change the demographic structure of the Occupied Jammu and Kashmir as well as grave human rights violations are an open transgression of international laws and a threat to the regional peace,” the DG ISPR said, adding that the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, in light of the United Nations (UN) resolutions and as per the aspirations of Kashmiris, is inevitable for durable peace and stability in the region.
The military’s spokesperson said that the armed forces of Pakistan present tribute to the supreme sacrifices of martyrs of Kashmir on this day of Youm-e-Istehsal.
He said the government of Pakistan, on a humanitarian basis, reiterates its political and moral support to the just struggle of the people of Kashmir against oppression and illegal occupation.
Responding to a question regarding reports of ongoing talks with a certain political party and the army’s position on the May 9 riots, the DG ISPR said that the army’s “very clear” stance had already been stated during a press conference it conducted on May 7, 2023.
“Neither has there been any change in this [stance] nor there will be,” Lt. Gen Chaudhry said.
The DG ISPR said that besides counter-terrorism security operations, the armed forces are playing a leading role in the education, health, agriculture and other sectors by establishing public welfare projects in various parts of the country, especially in merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.