ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has approved the Azm-e-Istehkam military operation as well as other decisions of the Central Apex Committee, local media reported.
Azm-e-Istehkam is aimed at reviving and re-energizing the current implementation of Revised National Action Plan (NAP), which was initiated following the national consensus across the political spectrum, a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office said.
The government of Pakistan recently announced a new vision for long-term stability called Azm-e-Istehkam. However, some people are misunderstanding it and comparing the operation to previous kinetic operations like Zarb-e-Azab and Rah-e-Najaat.
The previous kinetic operations were carried out to physically dislodge terrorists from their known locations which had become No-Go areas and compromised the writ of the state. However, these operations needed mass displacement of the locals and systematic clearance of affected regions.
There are no such No-Go areas in Pakistan since the ability of terrorist entities to or carry out large scale organized operations inside Pakistan was decisively degraded by earlier kinetic operations. The statement further said that no large-scale military operation is being contemplated where displacement of population will be required.
The government of Pakistan decided to launch Operation ‘Azm-e-Istehkam,’ to eradicate extremism and terrorism from the country, said a press release issued by the PM Office Media Wing on Saturday. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved a reinvigorated and re-energized national counter-terrorism campaign during a meeting of the Central Apex Committee on National Action Plan.
The prime minister said that operation Azm-e-Istehkam, backed by consensus from all stakeholders, including provinces, Gilgit Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, will consolidate multiple lines of effort to combat extremism and terrorism comprehensively and decisively. This initiative signifies the country’s united determination to eliminate extremism and terrorism.
The meeting was attended by key federal ministers, including the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
