- Defence minister accused the Afghan government of supporting TTP terrorists
ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday declared Pakistan can take strong action against forces that provide safe havens to hostile elements, indicated that Pakistan may conduct operations inside Afghanistan to target terrorists.
“If we have to go after Pakistan’s enemies in any country, we will do so,” the defense czar stated while speaking to a private channel.
To a question regarding safe havens of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Khawaja Asif accused the Afghan government of supporting TTP terrorists.
He further claimed that during the tenure of former prime minister Imran Khan, the TTP was brought back to the region in order to establish a private militia, which he said harmed the country’s internal security.
“The National Action Plan (NAP) already exists and is now being reinstated to eliminate terrorism effectively”, Kh Asif emphasized.
The Parliamentary Committee on National Security on Tuesday approved a unanimous declaration, reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to eradicating terrorism in all its forms and vowing decisive action against elements threatening national stability.
The country’s top civil and military leadership reiterated this commitment during the first committee meeting under the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led coalition government. However, the meeting was boycotted by the key opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), among others.
The committee emphasised that no institution, individual or group acting in collusion with hostile forces would be allowed to undermine Pakistan’s peace and stability. While expressing regret over the absence of some opposition members, an official statement said that consultations on the matter would continue.
The in-camera session, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir, key federal ministers, parliamentarians and senior military officials.
The military leadership provided a detailed briefing on the prevailing security situation, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). The meeting was informed about ongoing counterterrorism operations, recent threats and the state’s comprehensive strategy to ensure internal security.
Prime Minister Shehbaz, in his address, emphasised the government’s resolve to eliminating terrorism, acknowledging the sacrifices of security forces. He expressed concern over the security challenges facing Balochistan and K-P, stating that national unity was imperative in countering these threats.
The participants of the meeting said that the army chief delivered roughly an hour-long briefing, outlining the military’s operational measures and intelligence-based actions against terrorist groups. In addition, they said, the director general of military operations supplemented the briefing through presentation on strategic countermeasures.
According to the official statement, the committee, while strongly condemning the recent wave of terrorist activities, called for immediate implementation of the National Action Plan and the Azm-e-Istehkam strategy to dismantle terrorist networks, curb logistical support and eliminate the nexus between terrorism and crime.
