RAWALPINDI(National Times)- Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Thursday declared that Pakistan\u2019s fight against terrorism was \u201cparamount\u201d and could not be \u201csacrificed at the altar of anyone\u2019s politics\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was addressing a press conference to rebut India\u2019s claims of neutralising an individual linked to the Pakistan Army in an \u201cencounter\u201d in the Korag area of India-occupied Kashmir.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taking on a question regarding political leaders in Pakistan who advocated for negotiating with the Afghan Taliban over terrorism, he said different people could have different thoughts on how to counter the menace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is no problem in it. We need to discuss, and we need to come, and we need to say that yes, this is how we need to go forward and fight this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The military spokesperson maintained that the fight against terrorism was an \u201cenduring fight, and this has to be won\u201d. \u201cWe will win it,\u201d he asserted, saying there was no other choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The DG ISPR said Pakistan was the \u201clargest victim of terrorism\u201d as it had been battling it for more than two decades and had lost more than 100,000 people in the process, besides facing economic losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMore than this, our political and social fabric has suffered badly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He recalled that as a result of the debate surrounding Pakistan\u2019s counter-terror fight, the political leadership drafted the National Action Plan (NAP), then revised it, and finally came up with the \u2018Azm-i-Istehkam\u2019 vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese are the agreed consensual documents. You all and politicians have drafted them. Then follow them,\u201d he emphasised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Replying to the query, he said: \u201cIf there is terrorism in the region and if you create confusion in its narrative and don\u2019t do capacity building, then the question comes: is this behaviour only incompetence, lack of understanding, indifference or willful collusion?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThese questions will arise because for us, the most important thing is: politics exists if the state does, democracy exists if the state does, you and I exist if the state does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lt Gen Chaudhry said that Pakistan had an \u201cexistential threat from Indian-sponsored terrorism\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He highlighted that the country\u2019s police, intelligence, soldiers, and officers were fighting this war against terrorism on a daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut then the other stakeholders, if they are not coming up, then the question is: why are you not fighting it? Why are you not standing [against it]? Are you doing it because you are a coward? Are you doing it because you are complicit?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He further remarked that it was up to the people and government of Pakistan to \u201crealise that\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis fight against terrorism is paramount. This cannot stop, this cannot be compromised, this cannot be sacrificed at the altar of anyone\u2019s politics,\u201d he asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To another question regarding the PTI\u2019s planned march to Islamabad on Oct 4, the DG ISPR said, \u201cThe army has got nothing to do with politics, and we will not answer anything about politics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have made it repeatedly clear. Politics is for the political parties.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RAWALPINDI(National Times)- Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Thursday declared that Pakistan\u2019s fight against terrorism was \u201cparamount\u201d and could not be \u201csacrificed at the altar of anyone\u2019s politics\u201d. He was addressing a press conference to rebut India\u2019s claims of neutralising an individual linked to the Pakistan Army in an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n