Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, has indicated that Pakistan can carry out operations in Afghanistan to attack terrorists.
Speaking to a private channel, the Minister of Defense said: “If we have to go after Pakistan’s enemies in any country, we will.”
He stressed that Pakistan can take strong measures against forces that provide safe shelters to hostile elements. Regarding the forbidden Tehrik-E-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Khawaja Asif accused the Afghan government of supporting TTP terrorists.
In addition, he said that during the mandate of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the TTP was returned to the region to establish a private militia, which according to him damaged the internal security of the country.
Khawaja Asif also mentioned that the National Action Plan (NAP) already exists and is now being reinstated to eliminate terrorism effectively.
The National Security Parliamentary Committee on Tuesday approved a unanimous statement, reaffirming Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to eradicate terrorism in all its forms and promising decisive actions against elements that threaten national stability.
The country’s maximum civil and military leadership reiterated this commitment during the first meeting of the Committee under the coalition government led by the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N). However, the meeting was boycotted by the key opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI), among others.
The committee emphasized that no institution, individual or group acting in collusion with hostile forces would be allowed to undermine the peace and stability of Pakistan. While expressing regret for the absence of some opposition members, an official statement said that consultations on the matter would continue.
To the Chamber session, chaired by the president of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq, attended Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, head of the Army personnel (COA) also Munir, key federal ministers, parliamentarians and senior military officials.
Military leadership provided detailed information about the prevailing security situation, particularly in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The meeting was informed about ongoing anti -terrorist operations, recent threats and the comprehensive strategy of the State to guarantee internal security.
Prime Minister Shehbaz, in his speech, emphasized the government’s resolution to eliminate terrorism, recognizing the sacrifices of security forces. He expressed concern about the security challenges faced by Baluchistan and KP, stating that the national unit was essential to counteract these threats.
The participants of the meeting said that the head of the Army delivered approximately an information session of an hour, describing the operational measures of the military and the actions based on intelligence against terrorist groups. In addition, they said, the General Director of Military Operations complemented the informative session through the presentation on strategic countermeasures.
According to the official statement, the Committee, while strongly condemning the recent wave of terrorist activities, requested the immediate implementation of the National Action Plan and the AZM-E-INTEHKAM Strategy to dismantle terrorist networks, curb logistic support and eliminate the link between terrorism and crime.
