LAHORE, Pakistan: The Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that in some areas, terrorists still roam around at night; however, he clarified that the writ of terrorists no longer prevails in our jurisdiction.
While addressing a Press Conference in Lahore on Tuesday, the defence minister said that in the past, there was a sort of takeover of the tribal areas by terrorists and they had become no-go areas for day and night but today, there is no such situation.
Talking about the Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, the minister said that it is a continuation of the National Action Plan (NAP), adding that majority of operations under it will be conducted in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Khawaja Asif said that the purpose of the operation is to restore government implementation in certain areas.
The defence minister also said that the opposition parties will be given a full opportunity to discuss Operation Azm-e-Istehkam. He said that it is a matter of national security and the media should play its role in this regard.
The minister stressed that consensus among all institutions and political forces is essential for the success of the operations.
Asif reiterated that the operation has no political motives and its sole purpose is to counter the recent surge in terrorism; therefore, it should be supported by everyone.
