Daily Times

A renewed call has been made by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif for better intelligence sharing among all intelligence agencies. During his visit to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) headquarters in Islamabad, he stressed the need for more focused efforts to counter any hostile forces posing a threat to the country’s stability. Obviously, for cleansing Pakistan of all kinds of terrorism, there is need for a solid strategy and its proper implementation. For more than a decade now, the army has been leading counterinsurgency operations against militant groups in the country while the law enforcement agencies have been engaged in the fight against urban terrorism. General Raheel has appreciated Pakistan’s top spy agency for pre-empting numerous terror acts in the last few months. The COAS also emphasised enhancing the capacity of the intelligence agency to prevent such acts from happening in the future too.

Our country has been passing through a critical phase. The situation has become very precarious. After facing defeats in FATA, the terrorists have fallen back on a defensive strategy, with greater emphasis on urban terrorism. We are still in a state of war and our country has been facing a number of threats that are a major cause of concern. These threats include but are not limited to poor law and order, militancy, terrorism, sectarianism, presence of banned outfits and the perceived involvement of foreign agencies in destabilising the country. A recent spate of target killings and sectarian attacks in Karachi have traumatised the nation and caused much agony. These are the real challenges. In order to tackle all these threats, stringent measures both by the civilian and army leadership are needed. No doubt, the scourge of terrorism cannot be eliminated overnight, but the ongoing operation must be supported at all levels. The solution to these threats is difficult but not impossible. The security agencies need to pre-empt attacks. For this purpose, intelligence-based police operations are required. Solid cooperation among the intelligence agencies, both civilian and military, is critical. At the same time, more active involvement of the civilian government is also necessary. The COAS has called for a strategy to thwart internal and external threats. Internal threats are more dangerous since they often reside amongst us. Operation Zarb-e-Azb is bringing positive results. The last and major stronghold of the Taliban in the Shawal Valley has come under attack by the army. A major offensive has started in those areas to flush out terrorists. The army has also sought help from NATO and the Afghan government not to allow terrorists to flee to Afghanistan during this offensive.
The COAS’s statement regarding the threat of terrorism can only be welcomed. There is a tendency to think that our anti-terrorism efforts are some sort of magic wand that will instantly end all terrorist attacks. The fact is that the army’s efforts have led to a massive overall improvement in the security situation. From time to time, the enemy will hit back. We have to put our own house in order to thwart their evil plans. The army and the civilian government are on the same page, but it should be visible in practical form. The National Action Plan is losing credibility because there are few signs of it being implemented. This puts the civilian setup in a poor light. The federal and provincial governments should wake up to the threat of urban terrorism. The army chief has rightly said that the achievements and successes of the intelligence agencies go unnoticed but their accomplishments for the defence of the country were phenomenal, which deserve due recognition and acknowledgment. Every one of us is the target of these terrorists and all should stand up against this threat. *