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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Hit India hard if it acts, NSC tells army

An extensive statement was issued upon the conclusion of the NSC on Thursday evening that stated that participants discussed the geo-strategic and national security environment and the situation arising after the Pulwama incident.

By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
February 22, 2019

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad has authorised the armed forces to respond decisively and comprehensively to any aggression or misadventure by India.

It was decided in a marathon huddle of the National Security Committee (NSC) of the federal cabinet on Thursday, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan with attendance by all services chiefs and top security officials at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The announcement in this regard was made soon after the conclusion of the huddle.

Meanwhile, the government has clamped immediate ban on Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insanyat Foundation (FIF), which work under the guidance of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed.

The notification pertaining to the ban has also been issued by the Interior Ministry. The step has been taken in the light of decisions taken in the NSC.

Well-placed sources told The News that members of the committee approved and appreciated timely address of Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday where he sent across India a clear and wide-ranging message to respond its hollow threats.

An extensive statement was issued upon the conclusion of the NSC on Thursday evening that stated that participants discussed the geo-strategic and national security environment and the situation arising after the Pulwama incident.

The forum noted that the state of Pakistan is not involved in any way, means or form in the said incident. It reminded that the incident was conceived, planned and executed indigenously.

In this regard, Pakistan has sincerely offered investigation of the incident as well as the offer of dialogue on the issue of terrorism among other disputed issues, the statement said. “We expect India to positively respond to the offers. Based on the investigation or any tangible evidence provided, the state of Pakistan shall take action against anyone found using our soil,” said the statement.

“However, India also needs deep introspection to realise that why people of the IHK have lost fear of death. The violence by Indian forces in IHK is highly counterproductive. The global community needs to play its part in resolving the long pending Kashmir issue in accordance with UN resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiris,” said the statement.

Imran Khan recalled that this is a new Pakistan and “we are determined to demonstrate to our people that the state is capable of protecting them and believes that monopoly of violence stays with state. This will not come with commitment alone. We recognise that terrorism and extremism are the top issues in the region and the whole region including Pakistan have suffered.”

The prime minister maintained that Pakistan alone has endured over 70,000 casualties in the process besides heavy loss to national exchequer. That is why the National Action Plan (NAP) was conceived in 2014, which outlined concrete sequenced measures with consensus of all political parties and institutions of Pakistan.

“Having addressed direct threat to the state of Pakistan, we need to move to ensure that militancy and extremism are routed from the society and the state never becomes hostage to extremists,” said the statement.

In this regard, the prime minister directed both the Interior Ministry and the security institutions to immediately accelerate actions on ground against terrorism and extremism. At the same time, the prime minister authorised the armed forces of Pakistan to respond decisively and comprehensively to any aggression or misadventure by India.

The meeting was attended among others by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak, Finance Minister Asad Umar, Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Zafar Mehmood Abbasi, Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, DG ISI Lieutenant General Syed Asim Muneer Ahmad, DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor, DG Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Nauman Zakria and DG Military Intelligence (DGMI) Major General Sarfraz Ali.