DG ISPR to address security, other issues in press conference

Rawalpindi, SEP 05 (DNA) :Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry is set to hold a press conference at 2:15pm today.

During the presser, Lt Gen Chaudhry will brief on country’s internal security, anti-terrorism measures and other issues.

Today’s presser comes against the backdrop of increased terrorist attacks that have resulted in dozens of civilians and members of security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) being martyred in recent weeks.

Last month, Balochistan was marred by a series of horrific attacks that resulted in over 50 deaths, including 14 security personnel, as militants affiliated with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) targeted civilians, police, and security forces.

According to the data from the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), the two most vulnerable provinces namely Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan saw a sharp rise in deadly attacks last month.

The digital database of security incidents managed by the Islamabad-based think-tank suggested an alarming situation as the number of attacks jumped from 38 in July to 59 in August.

These incidents included 29 attacks in KP, 28 in Balochistan, and two in Punjab.

Earlier this week, the army’s top brass, during the Corps Commanders’ Conference (CCC) at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, vowed that they would not allow hard-earned gains against terrorism to be reversed.

Speaking at a press briefing on August 5, the military’s spokesperson had expanded on on the anti-terror efforts and intelligence-based operations (IBOs) carried out by the security forces to curb the menace of terrorism.

Referring to the government’s decision to declare Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as “Fitna al-Khawarij,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said that the militant organisation had nothing to do with Islam.

“The armed forces are especially focused on the merged districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” DG ISPR said, adding that the war against terrorism will continue till the last militant is eliminated.

Commenting on Baloch uprisings, the army officer said: “The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and its so-called leadership is a proxy of terrorists and criminal mafia, whose task is to defame and create propaganda against the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and agencies working against terrorism, criminal mafias, illegal spectrums, smugglers and extortionists, and to make the development projects in Balochistan controversial.

“The modus operandi for this is gathering a group of people with the help of foreign investment and narrative and provoking the innocent citizens on it, challenging the government’s writ, pelting stones, vandalising and making unreasonable demands. And when the state responds to it, acting like innocents,” he noted.

Touching upon the perpetrators of May 9 riots — which saw military installations being vandalised by mobs after the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan last year —  the general stressed that the army’s stance on the issue had seen no change neither it will in the future.

He also underscored that there is a whole coordinated mindset behind the political lobbying, meetings and protests outside embassies.

DG ISPR also remarked that a lot of money was being invested to hire lobbying firms, create a narrative of hopelessness and anarchy and raise a specific political propaganda.