Pakistan will continue with its ongoing pace to erect fence and establish forts along Afghan border for preventing illegal movements despite cross-border fire and physical attacks on fencing parties, Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor Monday said.
“Since we have started fencing the border, we faced 71 cross border fire or physical attacks in March, as many as 60 in April and 55 in May. Due to which, the fencing and forts construction parties’ seven personnel were martyred and 39 injured. But even at that cost, Pakistan was not slowing its efforts of fencing and forts’ construction because a secure border was in the interest of not only Pakistan but Afghanistan also,” he said while addressing a news conference here.
Recently, he said, the Afghan National Security Adviser, heading a delegation, had arrived in Pakistan and held a meeting with the Chief of Army Staff.
He said the visiting delegation was informed about Pakistan’s efforts of fencing and forts construction along Pak-Afghan border to stop illegal cross border movements.
The DG ISPR said the two sides held a candid discussion that Pakistan and Afghanistan were indispensable for each other geographically, and collective efforts were must to fight terrorism, which is the common enemy.
“We understand that Afghan Security Forces have the capacity issue and it has ungoverned spaces. According to a report more than 50 percent Afghan territory is not under control of Afghan forces,” he added.
He said no one had much desire for peaceful Afghanistan than Pakistan, adding “We want that foreign forces should come out of Afghanistan with notion of victory and success, and not to leave it in turmoil as they did in the ’80s.”
Maj Gen Asif said the two sides also held detailed discussion on Afghanistan- Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Stability (APAPPAS) under which five forums including military working group, politico-diplomatic group, Intelligence, Afghan Refugees and Economy groups would be set up for peace and stability in the area.
He expressed confidence that through these forums both the countries would be able to get required results of peace and prosperity in the region.
Commenting on situation at the Eastern border, DG ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said ceasefire violations by Indian troops at the Line of Control had been higher than usual in the years 2017 and 2018. There were around 2,358 violations recorded in two years alone, which left almost 100 dead and 519 injured, he said.
He said Indian Army had been targeting innocent citizens, but Pakistan Army only targeted the posts from where its civilian populations were targeted.
He said Pakistan had not responded to Indian firing due to an agreement by the two countries last week to adhere to the 2003 ceasefire agreement, but was “compelled” to respond only when civilians were targeted.
He said Pakistan Army was bound to the undertaking given by its Director General Military Operations in a recent meeting with its Indian counterpart with regard to respect the ceasefire agreement.
He appreciated Pakistani media on showing responsibility on the matter and not inciting provocation, adding that Pakistan wanted to respect the truce agreement.
He said India would have to realize and understand where they wanted to go (in the future), adding “We are two nuclear powers, and there is no space for war.” Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be taken as a weakness, he added.
Sharing some data about ceasefire violations, he said India committed 2007 ceasefire violations during the 13-year period from 2003 to 2016, while it committed 1,881 ceasefire violations in 2017 and 1,577 in the current year so far.
In that context, the DG ISPR said recently journalists from SAARC member countries, including four Indians, had visited Pakistan and they were taken to North Waziristan Agency so that they could see Pakistan’s efforts for peace.
He said the journalists were impressed by Pakistan’s efforts and wrote positive articles about the situation on ground after reaching their respective countries.
He said Pakistani security forces during the last two decades, in collaboration with the public, did a great job to restore peace in the country and wipe out the menace of terrorism.
Maj Gen Asif said Pakistan had been cleansed of terrorists’ networks, adding that now there was no organized infrastructure of any terrorist group including Haqqani.
He underlined the need for ensuring respectful repatriation of Afghanistan refugees to effectively tackle the menace of terrorism.
Commenting on 909 kilometer Pakistan-Iran border, the DG ISPR said there was better coordination between the two security forces and effective monitoring system, which help improve the situation. “Coordination at diplomatic level is in progress, and in near timeframe, goods crossing will open, which would help increase civic facilities in these areas,’ he said.
The DG ISPR said an initiative of Khushaal Balochistan had been launched in the province for last few months, under which readjustment of forces had been completed for deployment in the areas where development work was in progress.
He said security forces during an operation made a major achievement by gunning down Salman Badini, who was involved in killing of over 100 Hazara community people and target killings of police personnel. During that operation, Col Sohail also embraced Shahadat. Besides, a FC Center had been attacked by five suicide bombers, who were killed by the personnel deployed there under an effective strategy, he said expressing confidence that with busting of the Salman Badini’s network, peace in Balochistan would further improve.
He said people of the Hazara community had thanked the country’s security forces for getting rid of the Salman Badini group and making people’s lives comfortable.
The DG ISPR said there was a historic and landmark achievement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the form of merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas with the province. He said FATA youth had been advised to take along all tribsemen for maximum benefit of the merger and development of the area .
DG ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said Pakistan Rangers had restored peace in Karachi, which helped in giving boost to economic activities there.
However, he said that crimes could not be fully controlled in the metropolitan till the effective role of local administration and police.
He said Pakistan Rangers had also continuously conduced operation against terrorists in Punjab as per their mandate, adding “The Pakistan Ranger are doing a great job in Punjab.”
He said Pakistan Rangers had great pressure due to continued violations on working boundaries by the Indian forces, but despite that the Rangers carried out operations throughout Punjab, which greatly helped law and order in the province.
The DG ISPR said, “I must thank the media for their willing cooperation being a responsible media.”
Asif Ghafoor said he had interaction with media house owners and journalists, but “I never asked them to say this and not to say this, if we have sent any such requirement please do speak in your shows.”
He said when he talked to the owners and journalists, he told them that the present situation of the country demanded unity and there was a need to project progress achieved on different fronts.
“We have the capability to check the social media that who is doing what” he added. He said the number of accounts on social media from January to May had increased, which were found involved in anti-state, anti Pakistan and anti institutions and anti forces campaigns, stressing the need to deal with them with wisdom.
He said the Pakistan’s spy agency had checked all anti-Pakistan designs and responded in an effective way. He also informed about the twitter accounts operating against the forces and state. “We know who they are and we understand the whole network,” he added.
Answering a question about Lt Gen (Retd.) Asad Durrani’s controversial book, the DG ISPR assured that an inquiry was in progress and its outcome would be shared with media.
He also noted that Durrani’s book referred to incidents that took place after the former DG ISI’s tenure. “He has only offered his opinion on them,” he said adding that had the former spymaster asked for a no-objection certificate from the army, the matter would have never arisen.
He said that the reason the forces reacted so sharply to Durrani’s book was because of his post at the time of his retirement. Major General Asif said the institution itself took notice of the book co-authored by Asad Durrani. Pakistan Army has never forgiven any mistake, whether made by a soldier or a general,” he said.
The DG ISPR also spoke on the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) issue and denied the impression that security forces were using force against the PTM activists.
Recalling his first meeting with PTM leaders Manzoor Pashteen and Mohsin Dawar, he said he was initially approached by a journalist about a group of people, including journalists from FATA , who had staged a sit-in outside the Islamabad Press Club soon after Naqeebullah Mehsud’s killing.
The DG ISPR said he had then met a group of journalists, heard them and assured to take appropriate action on the issue, after which they had returned to the tribal areas.
After that meeting, he said, he was told by a journalist, who was one of them, that some youth from FATA had continued their protest outside the press club. He said he then personally met Pashteen and Dawar and arranged their meetings with military officials after hearing their demands.
The DG said the issues put forward by Pashteen and Dawar included the extrajudicial killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud, missing persons, dumping of un-exploded ordnance and the presence of security check posts in the FATA.
He said those were all practical issues and the PTM leaders had promised that they would look into them. Dawar later sent him a text thanking him for the facilitation, he added.
He said he had failed to understand how the PTM then moved forward its protest after receiving assurances that the issues would be settled.
“After that, how did [Manzoor Pashteen’s] name changed from Manzoor Ahmed Mehsud to Manzoor Pashteen? How did this campaign start on social media? How were 5,000 social media accounts were set up in a single day in Afghanistan?” Maj Gen Asif asked.
“How a cap made abroad starts importing in Pakistan? And how did groups of 10 individuals start raising anti-Pakistan slogans? How did articles start appearing in newspapers and how some foreign media starts telecasting their protests live on Facebook and Twitter?” he questioned.
He said the law enforcement agencies were “strictly directed” by Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa not to use force against any PTM gathering.
He recalled reports that the PTM leaders had claimed they were detained before their gathering in Lahore. Maj Gen Asif said the army chief called the authorities in Lahore and asked them to let the PTM activists speak.
“They are Pakistanis too. If they have some grievances, till such time [that] they are genuine and within the four corners of the Constitution, then we are the state and we have to deal with them,” he quoted Gen Bajwa as saying.
“If the state refuses to listen to its people, then who will?” he said.
He warned the movement that “inimical forces” were exploiting the PTM activists and that they were “letting themselves be exploited”.
Responding to another question about Afghanistan’s stance on “Durand Line” he said ”It’s a done deal, it is settled issue and it is no more Durand Line.”
He said it was internationally recognized border and there should be no doubt about it. He said that US had also given its point of view on the issue.
He said that Pakistan wanted solution of Afghanistan issue according to wishes of Afghan people and their interest.
About the upcoming general election, the DG ISPR said it was the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold elections. However, he said whatever task would be given to the army as per Constitution, the army would perform in the best interest of the country.
He declined to comment on political issues, saying “I will not comment on political issues, I reserve my comments on them.”
He said security forces should not be dragged into accusations as all allegations leveled against them from time to time had proven false.
About the water issue, he said that dams should be constructed with national consensus; nothing could be done at the cost of national division. He said the mandate of political leadership should take the decision in that regard.
He congratulated the ex-Parliament over completion of its five year democratic term.
4 June , 2018
Editor