The Prime Minister’s Office made it clear late on Monday that “no large-scale military operation is being launched” in the nation, two days after the federal government approved Operation “Azm-e-Istehkam”.
“A statement released by the PMO stated that there is a misperception that the recently announced vision for enduring stability, named Azm-e-Istehkam, is the same as earlier launched kinetic operations like Zarb-e-Azab, Rah-e-Najaat, etc.”
It claimed that the earlier kinetic operations were carried out in order to physically remove terrorists from identified sites that had turned into no-go zones and endangered the state’s authority. “These operations necessitated the methodical clearing of impacted regions and the widespread displacement of the local population.”
Since terrorist organizations can operate in these places, the federal government has declared that there are no such no-go areas in the nation.
Previous kinetic operations severely undermined organized activities within Pakistan.
The statement was released in response to concerns expressed by opposition parties about the start of the new military operation. These parties included the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Awami National Party (ANP), and others. They demanded that parliament be consulted before making any decisions of this nature.
The PMO stated, “Therefore, no large-scale military operation where population displacement will be required is being contemplated.”
According to it, Operation Azm-e-Istehkam is a national goal for long-term stability in Pakistan that spans multiple domains, agencies, and the entire system.
Its goal is to revitalize and rekindle the ongoing implementation of the updated National Action Plan, which was started following a nationwide consensus that included representatives from all political parties.
