DG ISPR Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Briefs Nation on Security and Counter-Terrorism Operations

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Monday briefed the nation on the country’s security situation, effective measures taken against terrorism, and the professional activities of the Pakistan Army.

Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, the military’s spokesperson provided details of the counter-terrorism operations that the Pakistani security forces performed during the current year.

“The security forces and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) conducted 23,622 small and large-scale intelligence-based operations in the country,” the DG ISPR said. “Out of the total, 2,045 operations were carried out over the last 15 days.”

He added that during the operations conducted over the last 15 days, “24 terrorists” were eliminated.

“It is important to mention that to fight terrorism, the Pakistan Army, intelligence, police, and other law enforcement agencies conduct more than a hundred operations daily,” he said.

Speaking about the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), he said that the Government of Pakistan had recently notified the group as “Fitna al-Khawarij”.

“From now on, we will use the term Fitna al-Khawarij to refer to the TTP, while all terrorists associated with the group would be termed Kharji (outcasts),” he said.

“This is because it is a mischief-making group; it’s neither an ideology nor has anything to do with Islam or Pakistan,” he asserted.

He explained that during the first seven months of the year 2024, 139 soldiers of the Pakistani security forces embraced martyrdom.

“The entire nation pays tribute to the brave martyrs and their families,” he said.

This press conference follows Lt Gen Chaudhry’s recent briefing on the threat posed by “militants and digital terrorists,” where he highlighted the sacrifices made by the armed forces in the fight against terror.

In his previous address, the DG ISPR emphasized the issue of digital terrorism on social media, stating, “The army is standing up against terrorists and digital terrorists. The time has come for the entire nation to stand up against them.”

He also discussed the politicization of serious issues in Pakistan, using Azm-e-Istehkam as an example. “Azm-e-Istehkam is a comprehensive and integrated counter-terrorism campaign, not a military operation per se as it is being presented,” Lt. Gen Chaudhry clarified.

The press conference also touched on the recent attack on a security convoy of judges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in the martyrdom of two policemen.

According to the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) Annual Security report, the second quarter of 2024 saw 380 violence-related fatalities and 220 injuries among civilians, security personnel, and outlaws, stemming from 240 incidents of terror attacks and counter-terror operations. The report noted that these incidents included 236 fatalities among civilians and security forces personnel.

The provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan, both bordering Afghanistan, experienced the majority of these attacks, accounting for nearly 92% of all fatalities and 87% of attacks. KP bore the brunt with 67% of all fatalities, while Balochistan accounted for 25% in the second quarter of 2024.