Daily Times

The Corps Commanders’ Conference on Monday noted that “the sanctuaries and liberty of action available to the terrorists of proscribed TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) and other groups of that ilk in a neighbouring country and availability of the latest weapons to the terrorists” were major reasons impacting security of Pakistan.

The 258th Corps Commanders’ Conference, presided over by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir here at the General Headquarters, was given a detailed briefing about the prevailing internal security environment, an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release said.

The forum paid rich tribute to the supreme sacrifices persistently being offered by the valiant soldiers in the defence of their motherland against the threat of terrorism. It also deliberated in detail upon the operational preparedness and training aspects of the army. The CAOS, on the occasion, said, “Objective training remains the hallmark of our professionalism and we must always remain prepared to guard against any threat to our national security.”

The forum was also apprised about the government’s economic revival plan and role of the Pakistan Army in uplifting agriculture, information technology, mining and mineral, and defence production sectors under the ambit of Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

The participants vowed to fully support the strategic initiatives planned by the Government of Pakistan for the revival of the economy by providing all possible technical and management support for the overall good of the people of Pakistan.

Last week, the Pakistan Army said it was seriously concerned that militants had found safe havens in the neighbouring nation and threatened to take an “effective response” two days after 12 of its soldiers embraced martyrdom in two attacks.

In the statement, the ISPR said that said it is expected that the interim Afghan government would not allow the use of its soil to perpetrate terror against any country, in the real sense and in line with commitments made in the Doha agreement. “The involvement of Afghan nationals in acts of terrorism in Pakistan is another important concern that needs to be addressed,” the statement emphasised.

Such attacks are intolerable and would elicit an effective response from the security forces of Pakistan, the ISPR statement added. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist attacks following Afghan Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 and called upon the interim rulers to take decisive actions against terrorists including the TTP responsible for cross-border attacks. Terror activities in the country have soared by 79% during the first half of 2023, a statistical report released by the independent think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS) showed.