Chief of Army Staff Gen. Asim Munir visits injured soldiers at CMH Quetta. Photo courtesy ISPR
The armed forces of Pakistan have serious concerns about the safe havens and freedom of movement available to the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Friday.
Issued as Pakistan Army chief Gen. Asim Munir visited the Quetta Garrison and was briefed on a recent terrorist attack in Zhob, the statement stressed that it was expected that the interim Afghan government would not permit its soil to be used for terrorism against any other state in line with its commitments in the Doha Agreement.
Earlier this week, nine soldiers were martyred after terrorists launched an attack on the Garrison in Zhob. According to an earlier statement, the ISPR had said soldiers on duty had halted an initial infiltration attempt, adding that a heavy exchange of fire had taken place after the interception. Following the assault, a clearance operation was initiated, with the military saying all five attackers had been killed during the clash.
During his visit to the Garrison, the Army chief paid rich tribute to the martyrs and visited the injured soldiers at CMH, Quetta, read Friday’s statement. It said he had lauded the injured soldiers’ services to the nation and appreciated their resolve.
The military’s media wing emphasized that the involvement of Afghan nationals in acts of terrorism in Pakistan was an important concern that needed to be addressed. Describing such incidents as “intolerable,” it warned that they would elicit an effective response from security forces.
The ISPR also vowed that operations against terrorists would continue unabated, adding the armed forces would not rest until the menace of terrorism had been rooted out from the country.
There has been a surge of militancy in Pakistan following the TTP’s ending of a ceasefire it had inked with the government, with a report compiled by the independent Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) claiming the first six months of the year saw 271 militant attacks, resulting in 389 deaths and 656 injuries. In response, both the government and the Army have vowed zero tolerance for terrorists, without distinction, and emphasized the need for Afghanistan to ensure its soil is not used to perpetrate terrorism inside Pakistan.