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Today's Paper | December 19, 2024

Updated 24 Jun, 2017 11:26pm

Time for other stakeholders in fight against terrorism to do more: COAS

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa during a high-level meeting in Rawalpindi on Saturday called on other stakeholders in the fight against terrorism ─ particularly Afghanistan ─ to 'do more', Inter-Services Public Relations said in a press release.

The army chief's latest statement comes in the wake of a spate of 'terror activities' which have killed at least 85 people and left many others wounded.

"Pakistan has done the best and maximum in the fight against terrorism. It is time now for other stakeholders, especially Afghanistan, to do more," the army's media wing quoted the COAS as saying.

Following the deadly twin blasts in Parachinar and the attack in Quetta on Friday, the ISPR tweeted saying that the recent terror incidents were "linked to sanctuaries across [the Pak-Afghan border]."

Explore: Recent terror attacks linked to sanctuaries across border: ISPR

The ISPR announced that security and surveillance of the Pak-Afghan border had been intensified after the two attacks.

The COAS in the meeting today was briefed in detail about the recent incidents and their manifest linkages with terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan operating under the patronage of Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) and Indian spy agency Research and Analysis Wing, ISPR said.

"Pakistan is one of the few countries which have borne the brunt of terrorism and made monumental sacrifices to effectively neutralise this menace in its state territories," the army chief told the meeting.

"Unfortunately our sacrifices against terrorism are not well-acknowledged and we are often subjected to demands of 'do more'," he said.

"While counter-terrorism efforts by Pakistan [will] continue, it is time now for the other stakeholders, particularly Afghanistan, to 'do more'," Gen Bajwa said, reiterating the Pakistan would continue to contribute towards regional peace and stability and not allow use of its territory against other countries.

Operation Raddul Fasaad

The Pakistan Army had launched Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad earlier this year following a spate of terror attacks in the country, which claimed more than a hundred lives and left hundreds of others injured.

The operation seeks to eliminate the "residual/latent threat of terrorism", consolidating the gains made in other military operations, and further ensuring the security of Pakistan's borders.

Hundreds of suspected terrorists have reportedly either been killed or arrested in raids carried out by security personnel since the start of the operation.

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