Armed Forces of Pakistan are fully prepared to respond to all kind of provocation from India and are resolute to respond to any aggressive designs of the enemy.
This was stated by Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, while addressing a news conference in Rawalpindi on Monday.
He said India has committed 56 ceasefire violations since January this year and during these infringements, Pakistan shot down six spy quadcopters of India. He said India is involved in spreading false and unfounded propaganda of infiltration and technical air violations against Pakistan to achieve a particular political agenda of the rulers of New Delhi.
The Director General said that we have always cooperated with the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan and arranged a number of visits of the UNMOGIP, international media and the Secretary General of the OIC to the Line of Control. He, however, said India has not taken any initiative like this to hide the ground realities in the Occupied Kashmir from the international community.
Talking about the situation along the western borders, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said a surge in the attempts to harm the law and order situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been witnessed in last few months. However, the armed forces, police and Law Enforcement Agencies are fully active to foil designs of the foes of the country. He said the armed forces are fully focused to ensure internal and border security and they are playing a cardinal role in breaking terrorists’ networks.
The Military Spokesperson said around 436 incidents of terrorism have been reported in the current year and the security forces conducted 8269 intelligence based operations during which around 1535 terrorists were either killed or arrested. He said the security forces are conducting over 70 operations on daily basis to eliminate the scourge of terrorism from the soil of Pakistan. He said with the unmatched sacrifices of the people and the armed forces of Pakistan, there is no “No Go Area in Pakistan.” However, there exist some sleeper cells of terrorists in some parts of Pakistan, which are being taken on by the armed forces on a daily basis. He said large caches of arms and ammunation have also been recovered from terrorists and their facilitators during these operations.
He said handlers and masterminds of terrorists are also being exposed. He said Police Lines Peshawar Mosque attack was conducted by a member of the Jamat-e-Ahrar at the whims of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. He said the suicide bomber, who executed this attack was an Afghan national. Similarly, all the three perpetrators of attack on Karachi Police office were killed in a retaliatory action by the security forces.
The ISPR Chief further said that 137 officers and personnel of the security forces embraced martyrdom in fight against terrorism this year. He said our war against terrorism will continue till the elimination of last terrorism from Pakistan.
Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry further said around 3141 kilometer-long border has been fenced along the frontiers with Afghanistan and Iran to prevent infiltration of terrorists. He said 98 percent border with Afghanistan and 85 percent with Iran has been fenced, while 85 percent of forts along the Afghanistan frontier and 33 percent with Iran have been completed. He further said that 65 percent of erstwhile tribal areas has been cleared of land mines.
Highlighting measures for the socio-economic uplift of the people, the ISPR Chief said that 3654 projects are being completed at a cost of 162 billion rupees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while 95 percent of the affected population has returned to homes. He said that around 14,000 people have been given jobs in Pakistan Army and the Frontier Corps under Youth Employment Scheme. Similarly, over 1200 students are getting education in various institutions.
Regarding Balochistan, the Director General said the security forces are providing security to the projects being completed under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. He said the army has also announced various welfare projects for the people of Gwadar.
