Pakistan’s senior military spokesman emphasizes the country’s counterterrorism resolve
The Pakistan military is conducting a fierce fight to root out terrorists using Pakistan’s northwestern tribal districts in North Waziristan as a hub of operations.
“This is the beginning of the end of the reign of terror in this region,” said Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Maj. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa, the country’s senior military spokesman. “We will continue until we eliminate them totally and end this menace once and for all.”
Pakistan’s Zarb-e-Azb operation, which has been under way since June 2014, shows the country’s determination to stop terrorism, Bajwa said. He made the comments while visiting U.S. Central Command in Tampa, the United States, with Pakistan Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raheel Sharif. Bajwa announced that approximately 90 percent of the targeted areas had been cleared of terrorists.
Zarb-e-Azb means a sharp strike, with the additional reference of “Azb” as the name of the sword used in battle by the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.
Bajwa explained that as military forces have addressed terrorist activity in other parts of Pakistan, criminals tried to make North Waziristan their base, using the region to plan attacks and train suicide bombers.
The terrorists’ most horrific attack occurred in December, when Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan operatives attacked a school in Peshawar, killing more than 140 children and school employees and injuring many others.
“They started shooting the moment they entered the school premises,” Bajwa said. “No one could have imagined that terrorists would have targeted innocent children like this.”
Military forces killed the seven terrorists, all wearing suicide vests, during the school assault. The tragedy elicited national outrage and mourning and drew international attention.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed that the country would not be cowed by the violence and that the military would continue its aggressive operation to eliminate terrorists. “The fight will continue. No one should have any doubt about it,” Sharif said.
Since the Zarb-e-Azb operation began, military forces have uncovered huge arsenals of weapons, including 132.5 tons of explosives, an amount sufficient to make and detonate two improved explosive devices every day for 13 years, Bajwa said.
One of the main challenges has been to stop terrorists from exploiting the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. One solution favored by Bajwa are the coordinated military operations on both sides of the border.
As a coalition partner in the global fight against terrorism, Pakistan understands international cooperation is necessary for success. To aid in tracking down and defeating terrorists, Pakistan shares intelligence with 70 countries, Bajwa said.
“We want to move forward,” he said. “Our sacrifices need to be recognized, and our own determination needs to be understood.” He estimates that about 5,000 Pakistani troops and more than 45,000 civilians have died as a result of terrorist attacks since 2001. As a whole, Pakistanis vehemently reject terrorist ideology. “There are outside misperceptions about the people and Pakistan as a whole,” Bajwa said.
“We have a shared commitment in the efforts toward global peace,” Bajwa said, adding that Pakistan consistently ranks among the highest in military and police contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations. “I think it’s a huge value for us, and at the same time it’s a huge contribution,” Bajwa said of the U.N. operations. However, this expertise comes with a heavy price — 136 military and police personnel from Pakistan have died in support of peacekeeping operations, according to the U.N.
In 2013, Pakistan inaugurated the Centre for International Peace and Stability, designed to train military and police personnel for peacekeeping deployments and further establish peacekeeping as an academic discipline. Students from 10 countries study at the campus in Islamabad, and Pakistan expects the program to grow to include even more nations.
This is just one of many efforts Pakistan has undertaken to stop terrorism. Like all militaries in the region, Pakistan’s Armed Forces remain watchful to defend against terrorists from Daesh making inroads in Pakistan. Said the general: “No matter what banner they carry, what hat they wear — any terrorist organization will be vehemently rejected in Pakistan.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Afghanistan and Pakistan Coordinate on Border Security
Military commanders from Afghanistan and Pakistan held meetings on both sides of the border in late January 2015 to increase border security between the two countries.
“The visits are aimed at enhancing the ongoing Pak-Afghan cooperation and will help boost confidence between the armies of the two countries,” said a news release from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations.
During the meeting in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, corps-level commanders discussed mutual benefits from building a cross-border network to root out terrorism. The leaders also shared information regarding recent and future operations and intelligence assessments.
The officials agreed that border coordination is necessary. The governments of both countries have expressed that combining efforts will help eliminate terrorist threats and build stability.
Sources: Dawn, The Express Tribune, U.S. Army
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