ISLAMABAD (Big Digit) Pakistan’s armed forces and nation united against terrorism

ISLAMABAD (Big Digit) Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif says that terrorism is a big threat to the world, the armed forces and the Pakistani nation are united against terrorism. This statement by the Prime Minister of Pakistan is very important. Terrorism is indeed a big threat that not only Pakistan but the whole world is facing.
Pakistan’s armed forces and the nation are united against terrorism and this unity is proof that we are one body for the security and stability of our country. Pakistan’s armed forces have sacrificed their lives in the war against terrorism and are writing together with the nation that they will fight till the last drop of blood.
It should be remembered that on the long border with Afghanistan, our army is engaged from the other side to help terrorists and smugglers cross the border. Terrorism is a big threat to the world, the armed forces and the Pakistani nation are united against terrorism.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi has said that trade with Afghanistan will remain suspended until the support of terrorists is stopped. Speaking at the weekly briefing at the Foreign Office on Friday, Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that Pakistan has no option but to suspend trade with Afghanistan. Afghanistan has attacked Pakistani traders and trade. Pakistan cannot trade with Afghanistan at the cost of the lives of its citizens.
Pakistan has always tried to keep security and trade separate, but there are continuous attacks on Pakistan from Afghanistan. 13 terrorists of the Indian-backed Fitnat al-Khawarij were killed in two separate operations by security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), 13 Khawarij members of the Indian-backed Fitnat-ul-Khawarij were killed in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on November 20-21. Acting on information about the presence of Khawarij, security forces and law enforcement agencies launched a joint intelligence-based operation in Pahar Khel, a general area of ​​Lakki Marwat district. During the operation, security forces effectively targeted the Khawarij hideout and killed 10 Khawarij members after a fierce exchange of fire.
Another intelligence-based operation was conducted in Dera Ismail Khan district, where security forces killed three Khawarij during an exchange of fire. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the slain Indian-backed Khawarij, who were actively involved in several terrorist activities, including murderous attacks on security forces, law enforcement agencies and innocent civilians. According to the ISPR, sanitization operations are underway to eliminate any other Indian-backed Khawarij in the area, it added, adding that Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies will continue the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign with full vigor under the vision ‘Determination of Stability’ approved under the National Action Plan of the Federal Apex Committee to eliminate the menace of foreign-backed and sponsored terrorism. The Pakistani government and army maintain a united front against terrorism through law enforcement agencies and military operations. The country’s counterterrorism strategy includes strengthening law enforcement agencies, suppressing extremist propaganda, combating terrorist financing, and using military and paramilitary forces to dismantle terrorist groups and infrastructure. The National Counterterrorism Authority (NACTA) coordinates these efforts and develops national policies to address this challenge, which is seen as a major national security issue. The government has enacted and amended laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 to enhance the powers of law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and courts in terrorism cases. The military conducts counterterrorism operations to dismantle terrorist networks and restore government control,
as are measures being taken to combat terrorist financing, including efforts to control money laundering, deregister NGOs involved in illegal activities, and prevent banned groups from raising funds, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung notes.
The National Action Plan, which was developed in 2014, outlines a multi-pronged approach that includes addressing the “ideological domain” by countering extremist narratives and hate speech, and the “socio-economic domain” by addressing the root causes of extremism.
The National Counter-Terrorism Authority plays a central role in developing the national counter-terrorism policy, coordinating efforts across agencies, and countering extremism in both the online and physical spheres. The National Internal Security Policy focuses on sustainable, non-proliferation measures rather than purely dynamic actions to build long-term stability. Official statements emphasize national consensus and unity between the public and the armed forces to address terrorism and other security challenges.
The armed forces are seen as a key asset in fighting for the integrity and prosperity of the country, a position supported by a united nation.
Pakistan’s national narrative against terrorism and extremism is a consistent policy that includes the law enforcement agency National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA). Pakistan has been fighting terrorism for over 20 years.Operation Azm Estekam is a continuation of Zarb-e-Azb, Radd-ul-Fasaad, Khyber One, Khyber Two, Operation Rah-e-Rast, Operation Rah-e-Nijat and other operations.
Its aim is to breathe new life and create passion in the National Action Plan. Operation Azm Establishment is not just an operation but a strategy, a vision. It is a reiteration of the resolve to destroy terrorists and eliminate their facilitators. The aim of Azm Establishment is to further mobilize armed operations based on intelligence so that terrorists and their facilitators can be eliminated from the country. In the Corps Commanders Conference, Operation Azm Establishment was also declared indispensable for counter-terrorism and the enemy was told that the forces and the people are determined and united to defeat the nefarious objectives of the enemy. There is no doubt that at present the dear homeland is passing through a very critical period. In such a situation, the Pakistani forces are performing their duty well. The attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in 2014 was not an attack on the school but on the future of the nation, in which the blood of the innocent builders of this motherland was spilled and more than 140 people, including children, were martyred. A joint National Action Plan was formed to take account of their blood from the enemy, under which the operations of Operation Zarb-e-Azb were further accelerated. This operation was carried out with the consensus of the military leadership of that time. This operation broke the back of the terrorists and peace and order was established in the country. But when the country’s political and military leadership decided to expand Operation Zarb-e-Azb and Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad in the National Apex Committee meeting and called it Operation Azm-e-Ustaq, the opposition parties expressed reservations. Maulana Fazlur Rehman even said that Operation Azm-e-Ustaq would actually prove to be Operation Destabilization. The division seen among political parties over the decision to launch an operation against terrorists is tantamount to giving terrorists the opportunity to roam freely in our country. May the leadership of all political parties fulfill their political responsibilities and not sacrifice the peace, order and integrity of the country for false pride and personal interests. If we are safe in our homes today, it is because of the sacrifices of the Pakistan Army. Why do we forget that the veterans of the Pakistan Army have limited these terrorists by taking bullets on their chests and Operation Azm-e-Stafiq will further strengthen the peace of the country. God willing! Unfortunately, the political chaos and the war of personal interests is also affecting the security institutions. Our rulers have failed to implement 17 out of the 22 points of the National Action Plan, the implementation of which falls on the governments, but they have not even been able to formulate a narrative among the public regarding the war on terrorism and its losses. According to the figures released in May this year, the Pakistani armed forces have so far carried out 13,000 intelligence-based operations against terrorists. Operation Azm-e-Stafiq is also a targeted operation that has become indispensable for the integrity of the country. There is a difference between Operation Azm-e-Stafiqat and the operations carried out against terrorism in the past. In the previous operations, such areas, which had become no-go areas due to terrorism and were challenging the writ of the state, were destroyed by terrorists. In order to completely eliminate terrorists from those areas, the residents of the area had to be relocated. But today, at this time, there are no such no-go areas in the country because the terrorist organizations were decisively defeated through previous operations. Therefore, Operation Azm-e-Stafiqat is not an operation that would require the relocation of the population to be carried out. It is a fact that the Taliban government, which has sacrificed the lives of more than 80,000 citizens of the country, including more than 10,000 soldiers and officers, in the war on terrorism and has caused billions of dollars in damage to its economy, today appears to be practically a puppet of India and supporting its conspiracies against Pakistan’s security. In the event of the Taliban’s hostile behavior and non-implementation of the Doha agreement, the Afghan Taliban nexus of other terrorist organizations including the banned TTP has put the peace of the region at stake.
The fact is that India is supporting Taliban terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to achieve its nefarious objectives through terrorism. In the context of this serious situation, for the survival and security of the country, it is the need of the hour for all stakeholders including the national, political and religious leadership to stand with the Pakistani armed forces to defend the homeland and completely eradicate the scourge of terrorism.The fact is that India is supporting Taliban terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to achieve its nefarious objectives through terrorism. In the context of this serious situation, for the survival and security of the country, it is the need of the hour for all stakeholders, including the national, political and religious leadership, to stand with the Pakistani armed forces to defend the homeland and completely eradicate the scourge of terrorism. Operation Azm-e-Stafiq is a continuation of Zarb-e-Azb, Radd-ul-Fasaad, Khyber One, Khyber Two, Operation Rah-e-Rast, Operation Rah-e-Nijat and other operations. Its aim is to breathe new life and create passion in the National Action Plan. Operation Azm-e-Stafiq is not just an operation but a strategy, a vision. It is a reiteration of the resolve to destroy terrorists and eliminate their facilitators. The purpose of the determination to remain is to further mobilize armed operations based on intelligence so that terrorists and their facilitators can be eliminated from the country. In the Corps Commanders Conference, Operation Determination to Remain was also declared indispensable for counter-terrorism and the enemy was told that the forces and the people are determined and united to defeat the nefarious objectives of the enemy. There is no doubt that the beloved homeland is currently passing through a very critical period. In such a situation, the Pakistani forces are performing their duty well. The attack that the enemy had carried out on the Army Public School in Peshawar in 2014 was not an attack on the school but on the future of the nation, in which Holi was played with the blood of the innocent builders of this motherland and more than 140 people, including children, were martyred. A joint National Action Plan was formed to take account of their blood from the enemy, under which the operations of Operation Zarb-e-Azb were further accelerated. This operation was carried out with the consensus of the military leadership of that time. This operation broke the back of the terrorists and peace and order was established in the country. But when the country’s political and military leadership decided to expand Operation Zarb-e-Azb and Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad and Operation Azm-e-Ustaad in the National Apex Committee meeting, the opposition parties had expressed reservations. Maulana Fazlur Rehman had even said that Operation Azm-e-Ustaad would actually prove to be an operation of instability. The division seen in political parties on the decision to launch an operation against terrorists is tantamount to giving terrorists the opportunity to roam freely in our country. May God grant that the leadership of all political parties fulfill their political responsibilities and do not sacrifice the country’s peace, order and integrity for false pride and personal interests. If we are safe in our homes today, it is because of the sacrifices of the Pakistan Army. Why do we forget that the veterans of the Pakistan Army have confined these terrorists by taking bullets to their chests and Operation Azm-e-Ustaad will further strengthen the peace of the country. God willing! Unfortunately, political chaos and the war of personal interests are also affecting the security institutions. Our rulers have failed to implement 17 of the 22 points of the National Action Plan, which are the responsibility of governments, and have not even been able to create a narrative among the public about the war on terrorism and its consequences.Operation Azm-e-Stafiqat is a continuation of Zarb-e-Azb, Radd-ul-Fasaad, Khyber One, Khyber Two, Operation Rah-e-Rast, Operation Rah-e-Nijat and other operations. Its aim is to breathe new life into the National Action Plan and create enthusiasm. Operation Azm-e-Stafiqat is not just an operation but a strategy, a vision. It is a reiteration of the resolve to destroy terrorists and eliminate their facilitators. The aim of Azm-e-Stafiqat is to further mobilize armed operations based on intelligence so that terrorists and their facilitators can be eliminated from the country. In the Corps Commanders Conference, Operation Azm-e-Stafiqat was also declared indispensable for counter-terrorism and the enemy was told that the forces and the people are determined and united to defeat the nefarious objectives of the enemy. There is no doubt that at this time the dear homeland is going through a very critical period. In such a situation, the Pakistani armed forces are performing their duty well. The attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar in 2014 was not on the school but on the future of the nation, in which Holi was played with the blood of the innocent builders of this motherland and more than 140 people, including children, were martyred. A joint National Action Plan was formed to take account of their blood from the enemy, under which the operations of Operation Zarb-e-Azb were further accelerated. This operation was carried out with the consensus of the military leadership of the time. This operation broke the back of the terrorists and peace and order was established in the country. But when the country’s political and military leadership decided to expand Operation Zarb-e-Azb and Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad in the National Apex Committee meeting and called Operation Azm-e-Utsaq, reservations were expressed by the opposition parties. Maulana Fazlur Rehman even said that Operation Azm-e-Utsaq would actually prove to be Operation Destabilization. The division seen in political parties over the decision to launch an operation against terrorists is tantamount to giving terrorists the opportunity to roam freely in our country. May the leadership of all political parties fulfill their political responsibilities and not sacrifice the peace, order and integrity of the country for false pride and personal interests. If we are safe in our homes today, it is because of the sacrifices of the Pakistan Army. Why do we forget that the veterans of the Pakistan Army have confined these terrorists by taking bullets on their chests and Operation Azm-e-Stafiq will further strengthen the peace of the country. God willing! Unfortunately, political chaos and the war of personal interests are also affecting the security institutions. Our rulers have failed to implement 17 out of the 22 points of the National Action Plan, which are the responsibility of the governments to implement, but they have not even been able to formulate a narrative among the people regarding the war against terrorism and its losses. According to the data released in May this year, the Pakistani military has so far conducted 13,000 intelligence-based operations against terrorists. Operation Azm-e-Stafiqa is also a targeted operation that has become indispensable for the integrity of the country. There is a difference between Operation Azm-e-Stafiqa and the operations conducted against terrorism in the past. In previous operations, such areas that had become no-go areas due to terrorism and were challenging the writ of the state were destroyed by terrorists. In order to completely eliminate terrorists from those areas, the residents of the area had to be relocated. But today, at this time, there are no such no-go areas in the country because terrorist organizations were decisively defeated through previous operations. Therefore, Operation Azm-e-Stafiqa is not an operation that will require the relocation of the population. It is a fact that in the war on terrorism, more than 80,000 citizens of the country, including more than 10,000 soldiers and officers, sacrificed their lives and caused billions of dollars in damage to our economy.The Taliban government today appears to be practically a puppet of India and supporting its conspiracies against Pakistan’s security. In the event of the Taliban’s hostile behavior and non-implementation of the Doha Agreement, the Afghan Taliban alliance of other terrorist organizations, including the banned TTP, has put the peace of the region at stake. The fact is that India is supporting Taliban terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to achieve its nefarious goals through terrorism. In the context of this serious situation, for the survival and security of the country, it is the need of the hour for all stakeholders, including the national, political and religious leadership, to stand with the Pakistani armed forces to defend the homeland and completely eradicate the scourge of terrorism. It should be noted that Pakistan Army Spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that 10,115 intelligence-based operations have been conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the current year 2025 till September 15, of which 40 are carried out daily, in which 917 terrorists have been killed, which is a daily rate of 3.5. During operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year, 516 precious lives were sacrificed, including 311 officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army, 73 police personnel and 132 innocent civilians. If we compare the number of foreigners killed in operations in the last 10 years, the number of foreigners killed in one year is the highest compared to the number of foreigners killed in the last 10 years, similarly, the number of foreigners killed last year was more than the total number of the last 9 years. After the 2016 Army Public School tragedy, intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies started rooting out terrorism and came close to fulfilling the dream of a peaceful Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. But unfortunately, under a well-thought-out plan, space was given to terrorists and their facilitators in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, governance and public welfare were deliberately weakened here, the consequences of which are being borne by the brave and courageous people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to this day through their blood and sacrifices. It is important to know the factors due to which terrorism exists today, among the 5 basic reasons for not ending terrorism is not implementing the National Action Plan. Doing politics on the issue of terrorism and confusing the nation in this politics. India using Afghanistan as a base camp for terrorism. Availability of modern weapons and sanctuaries to terrorists in Afghanistan. There is a nexus of terrorists and criminal elements with local and political backing. Pakistan will be hell only in 2024 and 2025. The number of Afghans killed is 161, in addition to 135 foreigners who crossed the Afghan border and 30 suicide bombers in the past two years were Afghans. These figures highlight Afghanistan as a base camp for Indian terrorism. The nexus of terrorists and criminal elements has full local and political support. After the APS tragedy in 2014, all political parties, federal and provincial governments sat in Peshawar and prepared a unified plan of action, which was named the National Action Plan. All political parties agreed that if terrorism is to be eradicated, then these points must be worked on. In 2021, a revised National Action Plan consisting of 14 points was prepared, excluding the points that had been worked on during the previous provincial government. All political leaders, all political parties and the then provincial and federal governments decided that if terrorism is to be eradicated, then these 14 points must be worked on. The current government also named the same action plan Vision, Determination and Stability. The primary reason for terrorism is that these points are not being implemented. The first point of the action plan is to kill terrorists. This is the only point related to ground operations. Is it being worked on or not? In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, security agencies conduct more than 40 intelligence-based operations daily. Are they conducting operations or not, this year we have not brought more than 900 terrorists to justice? Are not our martyrs testifying that work is being done on the first point and it is being done at all. The remaining 13 points should also be covered to see what work is being done on them, the second point was that the media, social media and politicians will stand united against terrorism, all political leaders and political parties have been in agreement on this since 2014, are we standing on this narrative? Is there no voice that talks should be held with terrorists, are we implementing this National Action Plan? Is the solution to every problem dialogue? If the solution to the problem lies in dialogue, then when India fired missiles at Pakistan on May 6 and 7, martyring innocent children, women, madrassas and mosques, why didn’t the people of this country say that they would have a dialogue the next day? If every problem was solved in dialogue, there would have been no invasion, no wars and no campaigns. If the solution to the problem was in dialogue, then remember the Battle of Badr. Why didn’t the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) for whom two worlds were created, the being above whom there is no human being, have a dialogue that day? Meanwhile, son stood before father, brother before brother, Qureshi before Qureshi and Umayyad before Umayyad, why didn’t they have a dialogue? Our politicians, all provincial governments said that if terrorism is to be ended, the nexus of terrorism and crime has to be broken.As the ISPR chief reiterated during a press conference, Afghanistan should take action against terrorists present on its soil. Pakistan will do ‘whatever is necessary’ to protect its citizens and territory. The fact is that the Afghan Taliban, despite repeated denials, has hosted various types of terrorists on its soil. For example, the US attack in 2022 that killed Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri in the Afghan capital Kabul infuriated the Taliban as it was a clear violation of the Doha agreement between them and the Americans. In the past, Pakistan has carried out attacks on targets inside Afghanistan in pursuit of terrorists who attacked it. Undoubtedly, terrorists hiding in Afghanistan martyr civilians and soldiers. Pakistan, along with regional partners China, Russia and Iran, should continue to convey the message to the Afghan Taliban that there will be consequences for harboring terrorists, such as reduced trade activities, or reduced diplomatic relations, etc.
Afghanistan needs to be told that in the current situation, terrorists taking refuge on Afghan soil but the Taliban government’s continued denial is not credible. What the Afghan Taliban do to their militant ‘guests’ is their problem. Pakistan and the rest of Afghanistan’s neighbours should assure them that their security will not be threatened by these nefarious elements. Along with active operations to reclaim territory from militants inside the country, there is also a need to pursue the inactive elements of the National Action Plan, which the DG ISPR hinted at. This was a plan that was agreed upon by all state institutions. On August 16, 2014, the brutal terrorists massacred the students of the Peshawar Army Public School. 150 people were killed in this tragedy, including the school principal and 134 students. The government had invited leaders of all political parties and held a conference, in which a consensus was reached on a 20-point National Action Plan, which was a comprehensive plan. Its specific points were as follows: establishment of military courts for immediate trial of terrorism cases, action against banned organizations, ban on hate speech, prevention of financing of terrorism, reform of madrassas, closure of communication systems of terrorists, establishment of National Counter-Terrorism Authority, supervision of all matters by National Security Committee, etc. But later facts showed that government agencies were not serious about implementing the National Action Plan. The founder of PTI has always been sympathetic to the Taliban. It is said that the PTI government had fully supported the Taliban army in capturing Kabul. According to the report, religious parties besides PTI had celebrated the success of the Taliban. During the PTI government, the Taliban were settled in the former tribal areas. These Taliban established parallel governments in many cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in addition to the former tribal areas. In KP, people held sit-ins against the Taliban in different cities, but the federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments did not support the people who resisted these militants. Now the people of KP are victims of Taliban attacks. The Peshawar Jirga’s demand that the KP government’s advice should be included in the formulation of policy on Afghanistan is important, but the KP government should clarify what its opinion is on Taliban militants. Now that the state has clearly decided that religious extremism must be eliminated, then the National Action Plan should be implemented.