No Talks with Terrorists, They Must Surrender; Decision on New Provinces Rests with the People, Not the Military: DG ISPR

RAWALPINDI: Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, has said there is no room for negotiations with terrorists, stressing that they must surrender to the state. He also said the decision to create new provinces or administrative units is for the people and their elected representatives, not the military.

Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, the DG ISPR briefed the media on the country’s security situation, counter-terrorism operations, the situation in Balochistan, the Kashmir issue and other matters of national importance.

He said security forces had conducted 40,348 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) across Pakistan over the past five years, killing 2,084 terrorists. Of these operations, 31,080 were carried out in Balochistan, 7,177 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 2,091 in other parts of the country.

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said 303 security personnel and 322 civilians had embraced martyrdom in terrorist incidents and counter-terrorism operations this year. He said the armed forces and law enforcement agencies would continue operations against terrorist groups with full resolve.

He emphasized that there was no possibility of negotiations with terrorists, stating that the state’s position was clear: terrorists must either surrender or face action in accordance with the law.

The DG ISPR said terrorism in Balochistan was being supported by external elements and that the state possessed evidence to support this claim. He alleged that India was backing terrorist groups, while evidence had also emerged of the involvement of some Afghan nationals in recent terrorist incidents. He said the objective of these groups was to undermine Pakistan’s peace, development and national unity.

He stressed that lasting peace and stability could not be achieved through security measures alone, adding that good governance, the rule of law, economic development and effective implementation of the National Action Plan were equally essential.

Responding to a question about the creation of new provinces or administrative units, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said the military had no role in making such decisions. He said the matter should be decided by the people through their elected representatives and Parliament. If new provinces or administrative units were created in accordance with the Constitution, there should be no objection, he added, reaffirming that the armed forces would respect every constitutional decision.

On Kashmir, the DG ISPR reiterated Pakistan’s political, diplomatic and moral support for the Kashmiri people. He said Azad Jammu and Kashmir received the highest allocation of resources within Pakistan and maintained that the bond between the people of Kashmir and Pakistan remained strong. He added that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute should be resolved in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people.

The DG ISPR reaffirmed that Pakistan’s armed forces would continue fulfilling their responsibility to eliminate terrorism, safeguard national security and maintain peace and stability across the country.