Lt Gen (retd) Qayyum flays misleading claims about military operation

ISLAMABAD: President of the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society, Lieutenant General (retd) Abdul Qayyum, has criticised politicians for misrepresenting the need for a military operation in Pakistan, accusing them of seeking cheap publicity for political gains.

He clarified that a large-scale military operation is only necessary when there are no-go areas, which do not currently exist in Pakistan. He stated that the police, paramilitary forces, and army continue to act on intelligence-based information, eliminating terrorist hideouts as needed. Small-scale operations have been conducted in the past and will continue in the future whenever credible intelligence is received, he added. Speaking to this correspondent, Lt-Gen (retd) Qayyum urged Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister to avoid spreading misleading statements about large-scale terrorist infiltration into Pakistan. He stressed that the provincial government must focus on governance rather than shifting responsibility, noting that Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir recently highlighted the need for effective governance at all levels — from the centre to local councils.

He pointed to recent security failures, questioning how a vehicle loaded with explosives was able to pass through multiple checkpoints before striking a cantonment in Bannu. He reiterated that the weakness of governance is costing soldiers and civilians their lives.

Furthermore, he called for swift and severe judicial punishments for terrorists, stating that this would serve as a deterrent and also curb hate speech and fake news in the media. He reaffirmed that every member of the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society, like the entire nation, stands firmly with the Pakistani armed forces and security agencies.