RAWALPINDI (A1TV NEWS) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said on Tuesday the perpetrators and facilitators of May 9 violence would have to face punishment in line with law and Constitution.
Addressing a press conference, Maj Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said the May 9 episode was an open secret and people of Pakistan as well as armed forces had all the proofs and evidence.
AN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THE WEDGE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND ARMY
He said May 9 was not Pakistan armed forces’ case but it was a case of all Pakistanis. An attempt was made to create hatred between the people of the country and armed forces. It was essential to punish the perpetrators of May 9 to keep faith in the judicial system of the country intact, he added.
He said the military installations were attacked throughout the country. There would be no talks with the miscreants, he said and added the miscreant group had no option but to tender an apology in public and express its resolve not to repeat the mistakes.
People were brainwashed through propaganda against the armed forces, agencies and institutions of the country. The ISPR spokesperson said establishment of peace in the country was the foremost priority of security forces and they would go to any limit in their efforts to eliminate terrorists from Pakistan.
He said they had no objection to the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 incidents. He, however, said this commission should also probe the objectives of the 2014 sit-in and the attacks on the PTV building and Parliament House.
He stressed it should also be seen as to how the resources of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were utilised for another onslaught on the federal capital. He also mentioned the attempts made by a particular party “to sabotage Pakistan’s deal with the IMF”.
Maj Gen Sharif said Pakistan had fought a long war against terrorism. The army sacrificed precious lives of its soldiers in large number in this war. He said Pakistan was playing its part in establishing peace in the region.
The ISPR DG said Pakistan had been extending help to Afghan refugees for a long time. He said Pakistan had also helped the interim Afghan government at international level.
He said the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s terrorists were staging attacks in Pakistan by using Afghan soil. He said there was clear evidence that these attacks were originating from Afghan soil. In the same way, Bisham attack was also planned on Afghan soil, he said.
He said steps were being taken to hold the perpetrators accountable.
The army chief had already made it clear that there was no place for terrorists in Pakistan, he said. He said 100 intelligence-based operations had been undertaken and terrorists apprehended. The war on terror would continue till elimination of last terrorist from the country.
The spokesperson said Pakistan would keep on raising voice for the oppressed Kashmiris. “Pakistan stands with Kashmiris in their just struggle for freedom. Their movement will get reward one day and they will emerge victorious.
The ISPR head further said about 500,000 Afghan refugees had gone back to their country but Pakistan still hosted tens of millions of refugees. About the terrorist attack on North Waziristan checkpost, he said several soldiers embraced martyrdom in the attack.
The spokesperson said on March 26 a tragic incident took place and all the clues found in the incident pointed towards Afghanistan. He said Dasu Dam incident planning was done in Afghanistan. The attacker of Dasu Dam incident was an Afghan national.
BISHAM TRAGEDY
He said plot to kill Chinese engineers in Bisham was hatched in the neighbouring Afghanistan. The suicide bomber was the Afghan national and the vehicle used in the attack was also prepared in Afghanistan. He said four other key culprits had been arrested by the law-enforcement agencies.
The ISPR DG pointed out that there were 29,000 Chinese nationals in Pakistan. Of them, 2,500 Chinese were engaged with CPEC-related projects and 5,500 others were working on other development projects.
He said it was their priority to ensure security of all Chinese nationals and all possible steps were being taken in this regard. He said the attack on Chinese engineers was aimed at sabotaging Pakistan-China friendship and hurt the CPEC project.
He said security forces conducted 13,135 intelligence-based operations against terrorists and their facilitators. He said about 100 perations were carried out on a daily basis.
EASTERN BORDER
Referring to the situation on the eastern border, the ISPR DG said Pakistan’s civil and military leadership was fully cognisant of the planning being made in India to divert attention from its internal anarchy.
Alluding to the Indian ceasefire violations, he said the Pakistan Army had responded in a befitting manner and it would continue to do so in future. He said Pakistan was fully prepared for the defence of its integrity and sovereignty.
He said India was involved in extra-territorial killings of Sikhs. He said there was also evidence of involvement of India in assassination of people inside Pakistan.
He said those involved in the attacks on military installations and disgrace of martyrs’ memorials should be brought to justice at the earliest in accordance with the law of the land and the constitution.
