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WASHINGTON – Pakistan has zero tolerance for the Islamic State militant group and there is no acceptance for this Middle Eastern militia in this South Asian country, said Lieutenant General Asim Bajwa, director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), on Thursday.
“A global response is needed to deal with the global threat posed by the terrorist group,” he said during briefing to journalists about the visit of Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif to the United States. Bajwa said that the army chief held discussions with top civilian and military leadership here on issues ranging from defence and military cooperation to issues of regional security and stability.
He said that the army chief also discussed the long-running Kashmir issue with the American leadership. On the question of the Islamic State, the military spokesperson said that as also mentioned by the army chief, the militant group was a global threat and needed a global response to be defeated.
“There is a zero tolerance for the Islamic State in Pakistan. Not even a shadow of the group will be allowed in Pakistan,” he said, adding that the Pakistani society has totally rejected it and there was no acceptance of the group in Pakistan. He said that action was expected against any visibility of the Islamic State in Pakistan.
Bajwa said that the whole world has recognised that the Islamic State was a threat but it was centered in the Middle East and has elements in Afghanistan. He said that the militant group tried to raise its voice in Pakistan at a time when there was already a crackdown underway against terrorists and space for militants was squeezing.
“People were already fed up with terrorism and there was no acceptance for it in the society and they will be defeated in coming days,” he said. The ISPR director general gave details of the meetings between the army chief and the top civilian and military leadership of the US, including Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter and the top military leadership, besides US lawmakers.
“All meetings were very positive and discussions were held in a very cordial atmosphere,” he said and added that the focus of the visit was on defence and military-to-military relations but discussions were also held in the larger context, including economy and people-to-people contact. “There is a clear regard and respect for Pakistan and for Pakistan’s armed forces and progress will be visible in all areas of discussion,” he said.
To a question, Bajwa said that the talks with the US vice president which continued for about two hours covered Pakistan-US relations and the regional security and issues of stability. To a question, he said that Pakistan’s clear perspective was presented during discussions with the US civilian and military leadership and the acceptance and understanding of Pakistan’s perspective was visible more than ever.
He also said that discussions were also held with regard to India and the situation on the eastern border and the Line of Control in the disputed state and the long-running issue of Kashmir. He said that the US leadership has been told that the long-term security and stability in the region required long-term solution, which is the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
On Afghanistan, the military spokesperson said that everyone supports the Afghan-owned and Afghan-led reconciliation process and recalled that the process had already begun with the Murree process when it was derailed. “The process had taken off and had it continued, there would have been much progress made by now,” he said.
He said that there was an identification of detractors and spoilers but all the serious stakeholders feel the urgency and seriousness of the matter. He said that there was a clear realisation that the Afghan reconciliation process could not be delayed further and there was a seriousness and urgency in moving forward this process. “All stakeholders need to support this reconciliation process,” he said.
Bajwa said that the Pak-Afghan border was long and porous and coordination was being done with the Afghan leadership to seal this pocket and eliminate terrorists from that area. He said that no time-frame can be given at this time for the end of the military operation but the objectives would be achieved as soon as possible. In addition to Zarb-e-Azb, there were some 12,000 intelligence-based military operations in cities also against sleeper cells and abettors, he said.
“The operation against terrorists will not end in a midway and it will reach its logical conclusion,” he said. On Pakistan’s support in fighting the Islamic State, he said that they were already cooperating in the fight against terrorism in the region in a larger framework. He also said that Pakistan has already played an important role in the global fight against terrorism and this would continue in the future.
Source: Daily Times
