Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army top brass on Thursday agreed to devise a comprehensive mechanism to block the growing activities of foreign spy agencies inside Pakistan.

At a meeting of the corps commanders chaired by Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif at the General Headquarters, the army leadership reiterated its resolve to take effective steps to block hostile acts against Pakistan which can have a negative impact on country’s security and growth. “The meeting has resolved to take all measures to block hostile acts against Pakistan which can undermine our security and growth,” a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations said.

The conference decided that no compromise can be made on the integrity and sovereignty of the country. It expressed serious reservations over involvement of India and Afghanistan in anti-state activities inside Pakistan and decided to deal with such elements with iron fist.

The meeting noted with appreciation the recent successes by intelligence and security forces in busting the foreign spy networks involved in anti-state activities on the Pakistani soil. The meeting termed the capture of a serving officer of the rank of lieutenant colonel of the Indian Navy working for Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) as a great achievement. “This was a first in the history of Pakistan. He not only confessed to his involvement in subversive activities in Pakistan but the information extracted from him also lead to capture of other spy agents, including an Afghan spook as well,” a source quoted the conference as having noted.

Kulbushan Jadhav was arrested by security forces in Chaman district of Balochistan province. Days after his arrest, at a joint press conference by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) head Lt Gen Asim Bajwa and Information Minister Pervez Rashid, a video of Jadhav was aired in which he confessed to his involvement in terror activities in Balochistan and Karachi.

According to the ISPR, the meeting also took an exhaustive review of professional matters, internal and external security situation, including the ongoing operations against terrorists in Shawal and rest of the country.

The meeting of the corps commanders has been convened a day after security forces led by Pakistan Army launched targeted operation against terrorists and hardcore criminals in southern Punjab. “Coordinated operations are underway against terrorists, hardened criminals and ferraris by the law enforcement agencies including Rangers, Punjab police, CTD, assisted by Pakistan Army in southern Punjab,” a statement issued by the ISPR on Wednesday said.

Also on Wednesday, a hurriedly called meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) of the cabinet also voiced concerns at efforts by hostile agencies to stoke violence in the country.