RBroz Consultancy Corner: Army vows blanket crackdown against terrorists, extremists

ISLAMABAD: Taking stock of the fresh spate of sectarian killings, Pakistan Army’s top brass has reiterated the vow of an all-out crackdown against terrorism, extremism and sectarianism ‘without any discrimination.’

The military command on Tuesday reviewed its ongoing counterterrorism drive in the north-western tribal region in addition to taking decisions on a host of related operational and legal issues concerning the army’s enhanced role in line with the National Action Plan (NAP) as well as the military’s role in the United Nations missions. The 179th Corps Commanders Conference with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif in chair saw reported discussions on the Pakistan Army’s ongoing military operations as well as the deployment of peacekeeping troops in different parts of the world.

“Focus of the exhaustive review remained on the most effective implementation of National Action Plan in concert with federal and provincial governments, in order to eliminate terrorism, extremism and sectarianism without any discrimination,” a statement from Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. The meeting participants comprehensively reviewed internal and external security situation of the country, it said.

Regarded as one of the most prolific events, the monthly Corps Commanders Conferences held in the month of February or March each year have significant importance as operational and administrative issues are taken up in these meetings—to deal with security issues and for filling-in the slots of major generals with new promotions.

This commanders’ moot, a security official claimed, has even more importance due to the unfolding multi-faceted counterterrorism strategy Pakistan Army follows as envisaged in the NAP. The working of the newly established military courts, the continued military operations Zarb-e-Azb and Khyber One respectively in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) and Khyber Agency, and the troops allocation for the UN peacekeeping operations in the wake of military’s increasing security engagements on internal fronts were discussed in detail in the commanders meeting, the source shared.

It merits a recall here that a top-level delegation of the UN High Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations led by Jose Ramos-Horta, the panel’s Chair, landed here on Monday to discuss with the civilian leadership and military command the allocation of Pakistan’s peacekeeping troops in the backdrop of growing number of humanitarian emergencies in different parts of the world. Pakistan has one of the highest numbers of over 7,900 security personnel including military and police troops assigned to the UN peacekeeping missions across the world. Moreover, the sources said, the proposed expansion of military courts from Pakistan to Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.