Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif on Monday said that a “massive, illegal political mafia” in the country was trying to sabotage the state’s Azm-i-Istehkam (Resolve for Stability) campaign to fulfil its vested interests.

Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, the military’s spokesperson said that the purpose of his presser was to “clarify the army’s stance on some important topics”, amid the recent rise of “organised propaganda” against the armed forces based on “false and concocted news”.

Major takeaways:

• Says “organised propaganda” against armed forces on the rise
• Says Azm-i-Istehkam is not a military operation but a “comprehensive counter-terrorism campaign”
• Says “massive illegal, political mafia” trying to sabotage operation
• Says army response in Bannu violence incident was “as per SOP”
• Says controlling riots, law and order is provincial government’s duty
• Says legal system “gives leeway to perpetrators of May 9”
• Says “digital terrorists” being given further space

Responding to a question regarding the potential of displacement in key areas as a result of the said operation, Lt Gen Sharif said that “very important issues were being sacrificed on the altar of politics”, adding that Azm-i-Istehkam was one such example.

He stressed that it was a “comprehensive counter-terrorism campaign” launched through national consensus and was “not just a military operation as it was being portrayed”.

Last month, the federal government approved the operation to counter a sharp rise in terrorist attacks across the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) ended its ceasefire with the government in November 2022.

“A narrative is being built that the operation would displace people […] but the purpose of the operation was only to reinvigorate the already in-place National Action Plan (NAP),” the DG ISPR said, adding that the document of the operation clearly mentioned that.

“A massive illegal, political mafia rose to sabotage the campaign and the first move of that mafia was to make the operation controversial through false and fake arguments.”

Without naming who he was referring to, Lt Gen Sharif added that a “very strong lobby” had a “vested interest” because of which it didn’t want the NAP to succeed, adding that the entity in question was “receiving a lot of money” to subvert the campaign.

“The stakes in [sabotaging] this [campaign] are very high, and it’s not based on any ideology but involves a lot of money,” he said.

He said if Operation Azm-i-Istehkam was properly implemented, it would not only eliminate terrorism but also lead to societal and national uplift.

Questioned about an alleged audio leak of TTP chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, the DG ISPR questioned what brand of Islam the militant was preaching that involved blowing up schools, colleges, hospitals, and homes.

“[Such narratives and actions] will be taken to their logical end,” he said, adding that they “only strengthened our resolve that Azm-i-Istehkam was necessary” for the country’s stability and security.

Earlier this month, the military’s top brass had expressed concern at what it said was “unwarranted criticism by some quarters and deliberate misrepresentation” of Azm-i-Istehkam.

The ISPR had said the senior army huddle “noted with concern the unwarranted criticism by some quarters and deliberate misrepresentation of the vision, only for furthering their vested interests”.

Army followed SOPs to control ‘chaotic crowd’ in Bannu rally

Questioned about last week’s violence during a peace rally in Bannu and the alleged firing by security forces, Lt Gen Sharif clarified that locals of the district had demanded carrying out a peace march — a day after an attack on the city’s cantonment led to the martyrdom of eight soldiers — and the protesters had agreed that there would be no anti-state slogans chanted during the rally.

“But when the peace march commenced, some negative elements also joined in, and just when protesters were marching through the point where the attack had taken place, some of them started chanting slogans against the army and the state while resorting to pelting stones.”

The DG ISPR played a clip from the march during the presser, showing armed protesters attacking what it said was the wall of the Bannu cantonment. “Some armed protesters resorted to gunfire as a result of which there were injuries,” he said.

Lt Gen Sharif said a temporary wall was also torn down by the protesters and the supply depot was looted.

“This is how it happened. The army’s response was as per the SOP (standard operating procedure) and according to orders,” he explained.

The army’s system was “very clear”, he further clarified, adding that if there was a military situation then there were “very clear directions and the officers conducted themselves according to it”.

He went on to say that when a “chaotic crowd” set upon a military installation, it was first “given a clear warning” following which aerial firing was carried out. “If it still does not stop then it is treated how it should be.”

He said that the security forces had thus carried out the aerial firing as per the above code of conduct.

“The issue is why all of this happened. This happened because discord, mob mentality, and fascism will further increase in the country when your legal and judicial system gives leeway to the perpetrators and facilitators of the May 9 incident and doesn’t bring them to justice.”

The DG ISPR also said that controlling riots and maintaining the law and order situation was the responsibility of the provincial government and not that of the military.

“Miscreants join a crowd and open fire and kill people, so this responsibility lies with the provincial government and administration. So, it doesn’t make sense for a political party to carry out a protest when it is the one that has formed a government in that province.”

The DG ISPR encouraged that protests should take place as the nation had a right to express its anger when terrorist incidents occurred.

Tried to resolve issues with TLP through ‘dialogue’

When asked about the recent sit-in by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in Islamabad, he said the issue at its core was related to the ongoing conflict in Palestine.

“This is a very important and sensitive issue. It should be clear that the state and army have a clear stance on the issue of Palestine: it is a genocide and unacceptable,” Lt Gen Sharif said.

He added Pakistan had already sent over 1,100 tonnes of aid to Palestine.

DG Sharif further said that the government and institutions were trying to resolve the issue of the TLP sit-in through dialogue without violence considering the sensitivity of the matter.

“Meanwhile, fake news and propaganda began that they (TLP) were brought here by the institution itself. For what purpose?”

He also questioned if the military would be blamed for every other protest in the country.

“The problem is that, unfortunately, fake news and propaganda have become so common and there is no accountability for it.”

The DG ISPR questioned if the use of force to break up the TLP sit-in would have assuaged everyone that the military was not behind it.

“We have engaged ourselves in such negative ways of thinking that we come up with all sorts of conspiracy theories,” he added.

‘Digital terrorism’

Questioned about criticism of and the narrative against the army and its leadership on social media, Lt Gen Sharif said: “What is happening is digital terrorism.”

He said “digital terrorists” were using tools such as cell phones, computers, falsehood, and propaganda to impose their will on society just like regular terrorists do.

The DG ISPR questioned the lack of action against such individuals despite their activities against the leadership of the state and other institutions.

“Instead of the courts and regulations moving forward against them, they’re given further space and they’re made heroes in the name of freedom of expression,” he said.