Federal Cabinet Approves Operation Azm-e-Istehkam
1. PM Shehbaz says citizens will not face any trouble, as per sources. Their houses will not be raided during operation, says prime minister. Operations will be carried out against terrorists only, he assures.
ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved the decisions made by the National Action Plan's Central Apex Committee, including the implementation of Operation Azm-e-Istehkam, sources informed RNN News.
According to the sources, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured that citizens would not be inconvenienced during the operation, and their homes would not be raided.
"Only intelligence-based operations will be carried out against terrorists," the Prime Minister was quoted as saying.
This decision follows the Apex Committee's approval of the military operation last Saturday, marking a reinvigorated national counter-terrorism drive to intensify pressure on militants targeting Pakistan.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) announced that the new counter-terrorism initiative was approved with consensus from all stakeholders, including provinces, Gilgit Baltistan (GB), and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
However, opposition parties such as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam Fazl (JUI-F), and Awami National Party (ANP) have expressed concerns, demanding that parliament be consulted before making such decisions.
To address these concerns, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that the government would ensure satisfactory responses to the PTI and other opposition parties regarding the military operation.
"We will create a consensus among the parties. The opposition parties and allies will be given ample time to discuss this issue. Any questions or concerns will be addressed satisfactorily," Asif said.
Clearing Misconceptions
In response to criticism, the PMO issued a statement clarifying that "no large-scale military operation is being launched" in the country.
“The recently announced vision for enduring stability named Azm-e-Istehkam is being erroneously compared with earlier kinetic operations like Zarb-e-Azab and Rah-e-Najaat,” the PMO stated.
The statement explained that previous operations were designed to dislodge terrorists from no-go areas, requiring mass displacement and systematic clearance. However, there are currently no such no-go areas in the country, as terrorist entities' ability to conduct large-scale operations has been significantly diminished by past efforts.
“Therefore, no large-scale military operation is being planned where displacement of the population will be necessary,” the PMO said.
Operation Azm-e-Istehkam is described as a multi-domain, multi-agency, whole-of-system national vision for enduring stability in Pakistan.
Raza Rabbani's Call for Parliamentary Review
Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Raza Rabbani called for the formation of a Parliamentary Committee on National Security, inclusive of all political parties from both houses, to review Azm-e-Istehkam.
Recognizing the government's clarification that the operation would not involve large-scale military actions or mass displacement, Rabbani urged the government to convene a joint in-camera session of parliament to inform lawmakers about the internal terrorism situation, foreign intelligence involvement, and measures under Azm-e-Istehkam.
He also emphasized that any legislation addressing legal gaps for effective prosecution should go through the Parliamentary Committee on National Security. Rabbani cautioned against enacting draconian laws that violate the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of 1973.
