World abandoned Pakistan to face terrorists alone: Bajwa

DG ISPR says global community should recognise Islamabad’s view, morally support it

Having fought the world’s war in this region, Pakistan says it has been abandoned by the global community as it handled, managed and faced terrorists -- planted by others in the region -- all by itself, all the while facing injustice for ‘not doing enough’.

This was stated by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) DG Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa in an interview with German broadcaster Deutsche Welle Urdu during his recent tour of Berlin.

“Pakistan has wiped out the roots of terrorists, planted by others, and we have fought the entire world’s war in this region,” Bajwa said when asked about a blame game over terrorism between Pakistan and India.

“The world then abandoned Pakistan to handle, manage and face the terrorists in the region all by itself. “

Bajwa added that Pakistan has managed to complete this task, cleaning the country of terrorists and have reached the border while intelligence based operations continue in other parts of the country.

Bajwa went on to complain that Pakistan suffers injustice and discrimination from the global community of a flawed narrative on fighting the terror war.

“I take it [the narrative that Pakistan has not done enough against terror] as quite an injustice to Pakistan. I take it as discrimination against Pakistan. Whichever [way] you evaluate the matter, Pakistan has done a lot in the war against terrorism and for peace in the world.”



The chief military spokesperson went on to point out the unparalleled role Pakistan played against al Qaeda and a number of other terror groups in the region that morphed over time.

Asked about why the operation focussed on some areas and not others, Bajwa clarified that when the operation, codenamed Zarb-e-Azb, was launched, people in the country and world over were pointing towards North Waziristan was the “hotspot of terrorists”.

“They [terrorists] were planning and executing from there. Suicide bombers were being sent from there. So, an operation was started [in North Waziristan].”

On the drone strike that killed Afghan Taliban Chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in Naushki district of Pakistan, Bajwa had strong reservations.

“Mansoor was a part of the reconciliation process and was required to play his role for peace. You may know about the process in Murree, and then a few sittings in Islamabad for a comprehensive dialogue with the Taliban,” he said,

He added that the Taliban chief was killed after he entered Pakistan from another country and was then traced and attacked. “This is the issue Pakistan has been protesting.”

On India’s bid for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, Bajwa said that it will be a “cause of disturbance to the strategic stability in the region” in addition to further discrimination if only India is inducted into the group. Bajwa further said that Kashmir is the only major cause of tension between Pakistan and India and that Islamabad is making efforts on the diplomatic and political fronts to engage New Delhi.

“As a military spokesperson, I would like to say that India poses a threat to Pakistan and so our entire defence mechanism is India-specific.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2016.