Operation Azm-e-Istehkam being ‘erroneously misunderstood’: PM Office

ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister’s Office has reacted to criticism towards the recently announced Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, saying the latest military-led offensive is being “erroneously misunderstood.”

“The recently announced vision for enduring stability named Azm-e-Istehkam is being erroneously misunderstood and compared with earlier launched kinetic operations like Zarb-e-Azb, Rah-e-Najaat etc,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Monday.

It said previously military operations had “compromised the writ of the state and, therefore, required the forces to “physically dislodge terrorists from their known locations which had become No-Go areas,” admitting that the wide-scale operations “required mass displacement of the local population and systematic clearance of affected areas.”

The Prime Minister’s Office claimed the previous operations were successful in eliminating the “ability of terrorist entities to or carry out large scale organized operations inside Pakistan,” reiterating that the state isn’t mulling over any operation which would otherwise lead to population displacement.

‘Operation Azm-e-Istehkam launched after national consensus’

The statement noted that Operation Azm-e-Istehkam was launched following a consensus of the civil military brass as well as the country’s political leadership.

“Azm-e-Istehkam is a multi domain, multi agency, whole of the system national vision for enduring stability in Pakistan.  It is meant to reinvigorate and re-energise the ongoing implementation of Revised National Action Plan, which was initiated after the national consensus across the political spectrum.

“Azm-e-Istehkam is aimed at energizing already in place intelligence based kinetic operations so to decisively root out the nebulous and shadowy presence of remnants of terrorists, their facilitation due to crime terror nexus, and rooting out violent extremism in the country to ensure an overall secure environment in the country for its economic development and prosperity.

“This will include political, diplomatic, legal and information prongs apart from already continuing operations by all Law Enforcement Agencies.  This should address all the misunderstandings as well as settle unnecessary debate on the subject,” the statement concluded.

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