DG ISPR: The army does not want to get entangled in politics.
Amending the Constitution is the job of the government and parliament
“There will never be talks with terrorists; Pakistan is ready to protect its borders and people,” Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry
Rawalpindi ( Web News )
Director General of the ISPR, Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said that there will never be talks with terrorists. Pakistan is prepared to protect its borders and its people. While briefing senior journalists, he said the army does not want to get involved in politics and should be kept away from it. Replying to a question about the 27th constitutional amendment, he said that amending the Constitution is the job of the government and parliament. If asked for recommendations on the 27th amendment, they will give their suggestions. He said that any decision on the army becoming part of peace efforts in Gaza will be made by the government and parliament.
He added that the National Action Plan called for everyone to work together against terrorists. In 2014 there were 38,000 madrassas; now there are nearly 100,000 — why is this happening? The registration of madrassas remains an open question. He noted that Sohail Afridi is the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Elected politicians build the state and institutions must work with the state. The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has a state and official relationship; the Corps Commander Peshawar also met under state and official arrangements, while the idea of governor rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is theoretical — that decision must be made by the government, not by us. He said that in Tirah poppy crops are being destroyed. Covert operations in Tirah and KP are continuing successfully. To eliminate terrorism, this year 6,200 intelligence operations were carried out. During operations 1,667 terrorists were killed. In terrorist attacks 206 security personnel were martyred. Security forces killed 206 Afghan Taliban and over 100 other terrorists in clashes. He said that operations are higher in Balochistan and more terrorists are being killed in KP; these people work against the army and collect “ushr” (a tax), but what they call ushr is extortion. They want an open border so that hashish can be brought in; part of it goes to the Taliban and part to warlords. This ice (crystal meth) is reaching our universities and ruining our youth.
He said political elites, terrorists, and criminals are working together against the law. Many times the army cleared areas but the civil administration and police were unable to act due to political pressure. Smugglers are working with terrorists. The DG ISPR said the Afghan interim government does not have the support of the public and political parties; the solution to Afghanistan-related issues is a government that represents the people. The conditions set by Afghanistan are meaningless; ending terrorism is important. He said enough is enough — Afghanistan must stop cross-border terrorism. They will not beg the Afghan Taliban for security. The Doha and Istanbul talks had on their agenda the end of cross-border terrorism from Afghanistan. He said Pakistan is sovereign in making its own policy. He said drug smugglers and interference in Afghan politics are behind the smuggling of massive quantities of drugs into Pakistan. He added that Pakistan’s response to the Afghan Taliban was prompt and effective; the results were what Pakistan wanted.
The DG ISPR said Afghanistan is a center for international terrorism; every kind of terrorist organization exists there and Afghanistan is producing terrorism and spreading it to neighboring countries. He said Pakistan never celebrated the arrival of the Taliban; we fight our Taliban groups — operations continue against the TTP, BLA and other organizations. The armed forces are the guarantors of Pakistan’s security; they will not provide that guarantee to Kabul. On the question of drones he said Pakistan has no agreement with the United States; the Taliban regime has not formally complained about drones, and no U.S. drones fly from Pakistan. The Ministry of Information has clarified this many times. We have no agreement that U.S. drones will fly from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
The DG ISPR said the Afghan border is 2,600 kilometers long and includes mountains and rivers; checkpoints are created every 25–40 kilometers, and they cannot be everywhere. Border guards are present worldwide on both sides; here we are left alone. Their guards fire on our forces to help terrorists cross the border, and we respond to them. The Army spokesperson said that in the decisive struggle the government of Pakistan, the cabinet, the army and political parties made decisions together. If the KP government suggests talks with terrorists, that cannot happen because it creates confusion. The Taliban make footballs out of the heads of our security personnel — how can we negotiate with them? The ISPR spokesman said ulema, media and politicians in the country must speak with one voice so decisions can be made. Asked whether the Taliban regime in Afghanistan should be changed, the DG ISPR said Pakistan does not interfere in Afghan affairs.
In response to another question the DG ISPR said India is preparing false-flag operations at sea and elsewhere, but we are watching. India can do whatever it wants — if it attacks again it will receive a stronger response than before. Responding to a question about missile tests, he said development happens in every country.