RAWALPINDI: Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), stated on Wednesday that lasting peace between Pakistan and Afghanistan is contingent upon the Afghan Taliban renouncing their support for terrorism and terrorist organisations.
The Field Marshal also emphasised that the use of Afghan soil by Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna al-Hindustan for acts of terrorism against Pakistan was unacceptable. He stated that all necessary measures would be taken to neutralise the threat emanating from across the border. He said this while visiting Wana in South Waziristan to review the security situation and operational preparedness along the western border on Wednesday.
Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir interacted with officers and troops deployed in the forward areas and commended their unwavering professionalism, operational vigilance and high morale during the ongoing skirmishes. He lauded their steadfast commitment to safeguarding Pakistan’s sovereignty and ensuring peace and stability in the region. Appreciating the Pakistan Army’s operational preparedness, the Field Marshal expressed full confidence in the combat readiness, synergy and resilience of the formations deployed along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. He also laid a floral wreath at the Shuhada Monument to pay homage to the martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice in defence of the motherland. He offered Fateha and reaffirmed that the sacrifices of Shuhada remain the cornerstone of Pakistan’s security and resilience.
The Field Marshal was given a comprehensive briefing on the security environment, ongoing intelligence-based operations and measures in place for border management. He was briefed in detail on the ongoing Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq and developments along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Upon arrival, the Field Marshal was received by the corps commander Peshawar. In a related development, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, stated on Wednesday that security forces had killed 481 combatants of the Afghan Taliban regime, destroyed 226 of their posts and captured 35 others during Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq, which was launched following an “unprovoked action” from across the border.
Providing a summary of the Afghan Taliban regime’s losses as of 16:00 hours Wednesday, the minister said that over 696 Afghan operatives were injured during Operation Ghazab Lil-Haq (Righteous Fury). He added that around 198 tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery guns had also been destroyed during the operation. The minister further noted that around 56 locations across Afghanistan had been effectively targeted by airstrikes.
Rana Sanaullah, political adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, told Geo TV Pakistan had achieved most targets but the operations continued. “Most training centres have been eliminated,” he said, adding Pakistan wanted “verifiable evidence” that Afghan soil would not be used for attacks.
Meanwhile, people living along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan said they were considering fleeing their homes because of heavy shelling and explosions as fighting between troops from both sides entered a seventh day on Wednesday.
Residents of towns and villages in Pakistan’s northwest said fighting between border forces starts in the evenings, placing their homes in the line of fire, often at sunset when families are breaking their fast in the holy month of Ramazan. “We open our fast in extremely difficult situations, as you never know when a shell can hit your house.” “There is complete silence in the day, but the moment we sit for iftar dinner, the two sides start shelling,” Farid Khan Shinwari from Landi Kotal, a town near the Torkham border crossing, told Reuters.
