In a counter-terrorism strategy, Mohammad Faisal, an official spokesman from the Foreign Office in Pakistan brought to everyone’s attention the role Pakistan plays in defacing terrorism. He said that Pakistan has taken on terrorism by killing more than 17,600 militants after the 9/11 terror attacks and destroyed their training camps in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan. More than 46,000 km of land has been cleared of terrorists, he said.
In an attempt to cover-up the constant notorious violations that Pakistan is synonymous to at the global level, he said-
“Counter-terrorism operations within Pakistan have cleared 46,378 km of land and eliminated 17,614 terrorists, ensuring that our soil is not used against any other territory; we expect the same from our neighbours.”
US demand for action
The US President Donald Trump uncovered the first National Security Strategy. He asked Pakistan to take “decisive action” against terror groups conducting operations from its soil. Trump laid emphasis on sending “massive payments” to Pakistan every year. It is a need to intensify its counter-terrorism efforts and help eliminate the terror haven, he said.
The Pakistan military launched the ongoing counter-terrorism operation named Raddul-Fassad. The group has since then helped eliminate terrorists from groups like Tehreek-i-Taiban Afghanistan (TTA) and Haqqani Network (HN). Pakistan claims to have made effective border management and counterterrorism its prime objectives.
“Actions against HN include rooting out of terrorist camps in Waziristan, blocking medical assistance to terrorists & breaking their financing & training camps,” he said.
Shifting the blame to everyone but itself
On the line of its never-ending blame game, the official from Pakistan made India a scapegoat. He alleged that “tensions and escalation by India at the Eastern border adversely impact our counterterrorism efforts.”
Pakistan condemns the unprovoked firing in Nikial Sector, resulting in shahadat of 2 innocent civilians. Indian DHC summoned to mofa pic.twitter.com/CtVcc8sju0
— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@DrMFaisal) January 21, 2018
Playing mud shots with Afghanistan, he said-
“Pakistan has 975 border posts to man Pak-Afghan border; Afghanistan has 218.”
He said Pakistan was keen to assist the Afghan government while highlighting that on the southern side of the border, “a stretch of 648 km has no check post on the Afghan side”.
In another indirect attack on Afghanistan, he said-
“Large swathes of ungoverned spaces in Afghanistan are leaving a vacuum for safe havens and terrorist sanctuaries to flourish and launch attacks on Pakistan. The incidence of cross-border terrorist attacks from Afghanistan has increased since 2016, and peaked to 417 in 2017.”
Pakistan emphasised the need for strengthening border management on the Afghan side #pakforpeace #fsinkabul
— Dr Mohammad Faisal (@DrMFaisal) February 3, 2018
The spokesman additionally claimed that Pakistan shares intelligence with more than 70 countries. Loss of life stands at 75,000 civilians and 6000 soldiers. He claims that in Pakistan the officer-to- soldier casualty rates are the highest globally. On economic terms, his country has suffered losses worth USD 123 billion in combating terrorism.