Army sees Afghanistan-based terrorists acting as proxies against CPEC

The military said on Tuesday that terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan were acting as proxies against Pakistan and its economic interests, especially the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), posing a threat to regional and global security.

Chairing the 264th Corps Commanders’ Conference at the General Headquarters, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Syed Asim Munir directed the top military commanders to pro-actively deny any space to the terrorists, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a news release.

According to the ISPR, Gen Asim praised the untiring efforts of the army and the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in successfully thwarting several terrorist attacks and neutralising key terrorist commanders during the ongoing counterterrorism operations.

The news release stated that the forum took serious notice of the baseless propaganda against the LEAs and the security forces, and resolved to launch strict legal action against the perpetrators.

“The forum noted with concern the malicious propaganda campaign meant to demoralise the armed forces and underscored that unfounded and baseless allegations on law-enforcement agencies and security forces have become a fashion,” the news release said.

These allegations, it continued, were part of a larger design to drive a wedge between the people and the armed forces of Pakistan. “We will not allow such efforts to succeed and as per the law and Constitution, stern action will be ensured,” the media wing of the military stated.

The forum paid rich tributes to the supreme sacrifices of the Shuhada, including officers and men of the armed forces, LEAs and the citizens, who laid their lives for peace and stability in the country,” according to the ISPR news release.

“The COAS appreciated the untiring efforts of the Pakistan Army and the LEAs in successfully thwarting several terrorist attacks and neutralising key terrorist commanders during the ongoing counterterrorism operations,” it said.

“The army chief directed the commanders to pro-actively deny any space to the terrorists. He said: ‘The Armed Forces and LEAs of Pakistan, fully backed by the resilient nation, remain determined to permanently eliminate this menace from Pakistan, INSHA’ALLAH’,” it added.

The ISPR said that the forum received a briefing on how terrorist groups, operating from Afghanistan, posed a threat to regional and global security, besides acting as proxies against Pakistan and its economic interests, especially CPEC.

The Corps Commanders’ Conference condemned the heinous terrorist attack against Chinese nationals in Bisham as well as the killing of innocent civilians in Balochistan, the news release stated.

The forum expressed serious concern over the ongoing Indian aggression in the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), and reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to provide political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri brothers and sisters.

It expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine and condemned serious human rights violations, war crimes and genocide being perpetrated in Gaza. The forum also expressed concern over the escalating tensions in the Middle East and noted that a wider regional conflict could ensue if both sides did not de-escalate immediately.

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(WITH INPUT FROM APP)