Terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan can be targeted under Azm-e-Istehkam: Khawaja Asif

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that “Operation Azm-e-Istehkam” could target terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan.

Speaking to Voice of America, he said the operation was not a hasty decision, but a necessary measure to combat terrorism.

Govt approves Operation Azm-e-Istehkam to eradicate terrorism

In acknowledging the political sensitivity of the operation, Asif expressed the government’s willingness to work with political parties to address their concerns.

He said the government would bring the issue to the assembly for discussion and answer any questions to build trust between members.

The Defence Minister firmly rejected any possibility of negotiations with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claiming that there is “no ground for dialogue.”

The Apex Committee of National Action Plan (NAP), chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, last week approved the launch of “Operation Azm-e-Istehkam” to eliminate terrorism and extremism across the country.

Operation Azm-e-Istehkam: US says it supports Pakistan’s efforts to combat terrorism

The decision was taken with a consensus of all stakeholders including the provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, symbolising the national resolve to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country.

The forum comprehensively reviewed the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign and assessed the internal security situation.

Progress on the multi-domain tenets of the NAP was scrutinized, with particular emphasis on identifying shortcomings in the implementation for addressing the same as a top priority.

It underscored the necessity for a comprehensive and reinvigorated counter-terrorism strategy, founded on complete national consensus and system-wide synergy.

Azm-e-Istehkam will integrate and synergize multiple lines of effort to combat extremism and terrorism comprehensively and decisively.

In the politico-diplomatic domain, efforts will be intensified to curtail the operational space for terrorists through regional cooperation.