Pakistan on Saturday announced to launch a major new operation against terrorism with a renewed commitment to eradicate militancy from the country.
The decision to launch Operation Azm-i-Istehkam (strong commitment) was taken at the apex committee of the National Action Plan (NAP), a 20-point multi-pronged strategy approved in 2014 after the Peshawar school attack to eliminate militants and extremism.
What Is Operation Azm-i-Istehkam?
“Azm-i-Istehkam will integrate and synergise multiple lines of effort to combat the menaces of extremism and terrorism in a comprehensive and decisive manner,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a press release issued after the meeting. The new anti-militancy campaign was launched with the consensus of all stakeholders, including the four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir regions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired the meeting and it was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, chief ministers, the services chiefs, and chief secretaries of the provinces along with other senior civilian, military and law enforcement agency officers.
The PMO said the forum conducted a comprehensive review of the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign and assessed the country’s internal security situation. “The forum reiterated that the fight against extremism and terrorism is Pakistan’s war and is absolutely essential for the nation’s survival and well-being. The forum resolved that no one will be allowed to challenge the writ of the state without any exception,” it added.
The progress on NAP’s multi-domain tenets was scrutinised, with particular emphasis on identifying shortcomings in its implementation for addressing them as top priority. The necessity for a comprehensive and reinvigorated counter-terrorism strategy, founded on “complete national consensus and system-wide synergy”, was underscored.
The PMO said in the politico-diplomatic domain, efforts would be intensified to curtail the operational space for terrorists through regional cooperation. The renewed and full-blown kinetic efforts of the armed forces would be augmented by full support from all law enforcement agencies, empowered by effective legislation to address legal voids that hindered the effective prosecution of terrorism-related cases and award of exemplary punishments to them, the press release said.
It added that the campaign would be duly complemented by socioeconomic measures aimed at addressing the genuine concerns of the people and creating an environment that discouraged extremist tendencies. Furthermore, the information space would be leveraged to promote a “unified national narrative in support of the campaign”.
The forum also reviewed measures to ensure foolproof security for Chinese nationals in Pakistan. Following the prime minister’s approval, new standard operating procedures were issued to relevant departments, which would enhance mechanisms for providing comprehensive security to Chinese citizens in Pakistan. The decision to launch a new operation has been taken when the country faces a new onslaught by the Tehreek-i-Taliban militants who, according to officials, are based in Afghanistan.
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