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Taliban have lost capability to carry out coordinated attacks
* ISPR DG says operation Zarb-e-Azb has struck a major blow to terrorists and now they are struggling for survival * Army not supporting any party in current crisis
INP
RAWALPINDI: The army on Monday said that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has lost the capability to carry out coordinated attacks.
In an interview with BBC on Monday Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Director General Major General Asim Bajwa said that after successful Operation Zarb-e-Azb, terrorists are on the run and have lost their ability to carry out coordinated attacks. He said that TTP leader Mullah Fazlullah and the members of his “cabinet” are currently in Afghanistan hatching conspiracies against Pakistan. He dispelled the impression that the terrorists and extremists are gaining strength and will be able to carry out subversive activities against the motherland.
To a question, Bajwa said that no deadline has been given for the culmination of the current operation in Waziristan to root out the terrorists. He said that the Taliban have carried out scattered attacks in Quetta, Karachi and other parts of the country as they have been expelled from their hideouts established for planning and targeting security personnel, state institutions and public places through suicide bomb blasts and explosive-laden vehicles. He said that Operation Zarb-e-Azb has proved to be a major blow for terrorists who have been taking shelter in Waziristan Agency, as now they were struggling for their survival.
The army had on Friday emphatically stated that it was not the “scriptwriter” of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek protest marches. Bajwa had then said that the army supports constitution and democracy and has nothing to do with the present political situation in the country. “Army has no role or involvement in the situation and assumptions and speculations in this connection are regrettable,” Bajwa had said while answering questions by media persons at a briefing on Friday. He said that COAS General Raheel Sharif had in his address on Youm-i-Shuhuda clearly said that the army believes in the continuation of democracy.
The DG ISPR expressed regret over rumours of the army being a scriptwriter and said the media should reject speculative stories that are against ground realities because they are not serving the country. He said as far as facilitative role of the army is concerned, it was accepted by the army chief in the greater interest of the country. He said it was the stand of the army that it is a political issue and should be resolved politically and army should be kept out of it.
In his BBC interview on Monday Bajwa reiterated that the Pakistan Army is neither involved in politics nor is it supporting any of the parties in the current political crisis in the country. “It is entire nation’s army,” said Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Director General Major General Asim Bajwa in an interview with BBC on Monday. He said that the army has maintained throughout that it is a political issue and should be resolved politically. “We have never supported any party and would not do so in future too,” he maintained.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk