RAWALPINDI: Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt. General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry Monday said the decision on Pakistan becoming a part of Gaza Peace Force would be taken by the government and the parliament.
In an informal interaction with journalists here, the military spokesman said Pakistan was sovereign in its policymaking. He categorically rejected the Afghan Taliban regime’s allegation of allowing US drones to carry out attacks in Afghanistan.
“This allegation as levelled by the Afghan Taliban’s spokesman is false,” Chaudhry said, adding that Pakistan had not allowed US to launch attacks on Afghanistan from its soil.
At the same time, he maintained that Pakistan Army did not want to indulge in politics and as such the institution should be kept away from political matters. Chaudhry told a questioner that it was discretion and power of the federal government to impose governor rule in in any province.
He also made it clear that Pakistan went to Doha with one-point agenda that Afghan soil should not be used against the neigbouring country. He said Pakistan attempted to resolve issues with the neignbouring country, with putting end to terrorism being the most important thing.
The military spokesman said Islamabad’s problem stems from the Afghan Taliban’s failure to honour the Doha agreement. “Taliban promised a Loya Jirga and a representative government in Doha, but they have not fulfilled that promise,” he said, urging political settlement while keeping open the option of further measures.
He said Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was an offshoot of Afghan Taliban. “The TTP has taken oath at the hands of Afghan Taliban,” Chaudhry said, adding those having any love for Afghanistan should move to that country.
He disclosed that drug smugglers also had big involvement in Afghan politics, saying there had been large scale smuggling of drugs to Pakistan from the Afghan soil. “Terrorists collect tax in the name of Ushr,” he said.
He said India was preparing for a false-flag operation from sea. “We suspect India may attempt a false-flag maritime operation,” the ISPR director general said, asserting that Pakistan was fully alert to such possibilities.
He also said through the false flag operation, India would propagate a lie about a major strike on Pakistan. He said India would get a stronger response to whatever it desired to do from the air, land or sea.
Talking about counter-terrorism efforts, he said 62,113 intelligence based operations (IBOs) were undertaken during the current year, meaning 208 IBOs on daily basis. As many as 1,667 terrorists were killed, while 1,073, including 584 officers and soldiers of army, 133 from the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and 356 civilians were also martyred.
He said 206 Afghan Taliban and 112 Khwarij were killed during the recent tension with Afghanistan. Commenting on the situation in Afghanistan, the ISPR director general said the current interim government lacked popular support and that a representative and inclusive government was essential for lasting peace, with participation from women and all segments of society.
He said in the Tirah Valley, poppy cultivation over 12,000 acres of land was ready for harvest, but certain political elements were creating hurdles in efforts to destroy it. He said the price of one acre was around Rs2.5 million. This money was used by these stakeholders for terrorism and other activities, he added.
He asserted that Pakistan will not beg Afghanistan for security guarantees. “We will establish peace through strength. Negotiations with terrorists are unacceptable. Afghanistan must either act against terrorists or hand them over to us,” he stated firmly.
Referring to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, he said Sohail Afridi was Chief Minister and that personal or institutional preferences did not matter, adding that the state and government will maintain a working relationship with him. “No politician is against the state. Politicians build states, and institutions must stand with the state,” he emphasized.
