PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Awami National Party (ANP) have announced not to support Operation Azm-e-Istehkam until its details and procedures are clarified.
In a media briefing in Islamabad on Monday, KP Information Adviser Barrister Saif stated that a meeting led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur took place at Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa House, with the participation of National Assembly members. The operation’s specifics were discussed.
“The prime minister’s statement on Operation Azm-e-Istehkam has created confusion,” said Saif. “The public has not been informed about the operation’s method and duration.”
Saif highlighted public concerns regarding the operation. “Consultation with provinces is essential for any action against terrorism. This is a critical issue linked to national security, and the war against terrorism has cost billions,” he said.
He stressed that the federal government should take parliament and provincial assemblies into confidence for actions against terrorism and consult all political parties in Pakistan. “We cannot decide on supporting the operation until its details are clear,” he added.
Saif emphasised Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s frontline role in the war against terrorism and expressed the province’s inability to bear further burdens.
He mentioned that Chief Minister Gandapur met PTI founder at Adiala to seek his opinion on the operation. “The PTI founder stated that without clear details, the operation should not be supported,” Saif revealed.
“No Pashtun can support terrorism,” said Saif, underscoring the need for following legal procedures and including public opinion in any decision. ”
Meanwhile, CM Gandapur has said the Apex Committee on NAP outlined the policy, but there was no mention of any operation.
Addressing the media after meeting Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, Gandapur reiterated that the Apex Committee discussed peace and rewards, but there was no mention of an operation named Azm-e-Istehkam.
“Our government improved the law and order situation, strengthened law enforcement agencies including the CTD, and engaged with Afghanistan,” Gandapur stated. “General Bajwa’s plans, possibly with the US or Nawaz Sharif, to remove General Faiz and dismantle PTI have affected stability.”
On Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, Gandapur said, “I will comment after ISPR’s policy is clear. It is necessary to take the public and provinces into confidence, considering the losses we’ve faced.”
Meanwhile, the Awami National Party (ANP) voiced on Monday its opposition to the Azm-e-Istehkam, declaring the operation unacceptable under any circumstances.
On Sunday, Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) also declared their refusal to support any military operation, demanding that military leadership take Parliament into confidence first.
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Faisal Karim Kundi visited the ANP’s Bacha Khan Center in Peshawar, where he met with the party’s top leadership to discuss security and political matters.
During a media briefing, ANP leader Mian Iftikhar stated that the roots of terrorism lie in Punjab, expressing serious reservations about the decision to launch Operation Istehkam Pakistan.
Mian emphasized that the ANP has conveyed its concerns to the governor.
He criticized the operation as a unilateral decision, noting a lack of trust in both negotiations and military actions among the people. He questioned whose directive General Faiz initiated negotiations and how 40,000 terrorists infiltrated the country.
Following this, Iftikhar called for both national and provincial assemblies to be taken into confidence regarding the operation.
The ANP leader announced that the party would convene an All Parties Conference (APC) to discuss Operation Istehkam Pakistan in detail.
Opposing the operation yesterday, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar emphasised, “Any military operation must involve parliamentary consent. Parliament is supreme under the Constitution.”
Asad Qaiser declared, “We cannot endorse any military operation without parliamentary involvement. Significant decisions are being made without consulting the opposition.”
