Operation has degraded Taliban’s ability to attack: DG ISPR

Asim Bajwa reiterates the army is not involved in current political crisis. Second tier TTP command killed or arrested

Director General Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) Asim Bajwa on Monday said the Taliban’s ability to attack has been degraded owing to Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan.

In an interview to the BBC on Monday, DG ISPR said after the militants were out of Pakistan following the operation, attacks by the Taliban have dropped to a “minimum” in the country.

“The view that militants are rising once again is incorrect,” Bajwa clarified.

“In fact, I think they (Taliban) are not rising but after being dispersed they are attacking other areas,” he added.

“The Taliban don’t have a base anymore,” Bajwa said, adding, “Initially, they used to operate from a base where they would plot and carry out the attacks from in different parts of the country.”

Maj-Gen Bajwa added that the militants had suffered a massive defeat owing to the operation.

“Operation Zarb-e-Azb is progressing successfully,” Maj-Gen Bajwa reiterated, clarifying that a deadline cannot be given for when it will end.

Responding to a question about the success of the operation, the DG ISPR said, “The second tier of command structure of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has either been killed or arrested during the operation.”

“Mullah Fazlullah and members of his cabinet are hiding in Kunar, Afghanistan,” Bajwa alleged, adding, “They fled before the operation started.”

“We have requested the Afghan government to hand Fazlullah and TTP members to us.”

Commenting on the current political crisis where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek continue their sit-in at D-chowk in the federal capital, Bajwa reiterated that the army is not involved in the current crisis nor do they support any one.

“The army, from the first day, has upheld that this is a political issue and should be resolved politically.”

“The army cannot side with any one party because it is the army of the country,” Bajwa said, adding, “We never extended support to any one party, nor will it do so in the future.”