In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt General Asim Bajwa has said that the narrative that Pakistan has not done enough to fight terrorism is unfair as it overshadows Pakistan’s contribution to the war on terror. The world has abandoned Pakistan to fight with terrorists, despite Pakistan being one of the primary victims of most of the terrorist attacks in the region. Pakistan had played a unique role against the al-Qaeda and all other terrorists who emerged over time, be it after Russian aggression in Afghanistan or the post-9/11 situation. Bajwa added that the global community should recognise Pakistan’s perspective and morally support it. Emphasising the importance of the Operation Zarb-e-Azb, Bajwa said that the military operation had been launched in FATA, particularly in North Waziristan, to clear the area of terrorists who had been planning and executing attacks and masterminding suicide bombers from there. Besides, over 18,000 intelligence-based operations were carried out in cities across the country against terrorists and their facilitators. More than 240 terrorists were killed in these operations. He rejected the perception that the army was not taking action against the Haqqani network, and said that there were terrorists from the Haqqani network, ETIM, IMU, al-Qaeda and TTP, and that there were Pakistanis, Afghans and other nationals, and “we fought against all of them.” There is no argument regarding the efforts of the armed forces against terrorism, and assistance to civilians during natural and man-made disasters like floods, earthquakes and bomb blasts. The institution is well equipped to handle catastrophic situations, and is always responsive to needs of people in the case of such emergencies. The problem is the involvement of the military in the political affairs of the country, influencing internal and foreign policy matters. Answering a question, Bajwa said that democracy is strengthening in Pakistan, and receiving all possible support from the military. Keeping in view the involvement of military in the foreign policy towards India, Afghanistan and the US, the statement doesn’t sit well with political analysts. In the context of efforts in the war against terrorism, the ambiguous stance of Islamabad has marred the image of the country in the international arena. After the Soviets left Afghanistan, Pakistan’s continued support for militants and Taliban rule in Afghanistan severely tarnished its image. After 9/11, Pakistan had a tremendous opportunity to prove its seriousness against terrorism, but the double games led it nowhere. Pakistan’s stance of going after particular militant groups evoked a reaction in the western allies, who were demanding an all-out action against all militants without any distinction. The presence of some of high-profile militant leaders in Pakistan has not helped its cause either. The recent death of Mullah Akhtar Mansour has further damaged its credibility. In realpolitik, only the interests matter. Over the years, Pakistan had been successfully able to sell itself due to its geostrategic location, but with the changing realities around the world and failure of Pakistan to fully cooperate with its allies, in particular, the US, has led to its apparent “isolation.” There is no denying the efforts of Pakistani troops against terrorism, but to get the recognition of the international community, it has to work on its image, which cannot improve without abandoning the ambiguous policies. No country is interested in helping out the other unless it serves its own interests. Pakistan needs to look at what it has to offer. It is imperative for Pakistan to focus on rebranding its image, and work on being a peaceful country that is focused on development in all sectors, and slowly and steadily graduate to becoming a country that is proud of its achievements, and interacts with the world on its own terms.*