Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant-General Asim Bajwa earlier yesterday regretted that fact that the world left Pakistan alone to face militants.
“Pakistan fought the war for the entire world in that region but the world left Pakistan alone to face them,” Bajwa said during an interview with Deutsche Welle.
“I would say that the international community has not done enough for us,” the military’s spokesperson added. The DG ISPR went on to say the criticism from the west that the Pakistan Army is not “doing enough” against militants is “both regretful and unjustified.”
Bajwa clarified that Operation Zarb-e-Azb is targeting all militants, including the Haqqani network. “The military has no preferences. We are targeting terrorists from all groups,” DG ISPR said in an interview with the German broadcaster in Berlin.
“The military crackdown is worthy of all the efforts. We have eliminated the terrorists from the area, and the people are very pleased with our efforts,” the DG maintained.
Further, Bajwa said Pakistan’s “entire defence mechanism is India-specific” as “India poses a threat to Pakistan”. Bajwa said that despite ongoing developments to engage India, “there is one major cause of tensions between the two countries and that is the long-standing issue of Kashmir”.
DG ISPR also said the killing of former Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour in an American drone strike in May was “regrettable” as it upset the Afghan reconciliation process. “[Mansour] entered into Pakistan from another state and then he was traced and attacked. He was a part of the reconciliation process and was required to play his role for peace.”
“Pakistan was not informed despite being an ally. This is the issue Pakistan has been protesting,” he added.
Bajwa also dismissed claims of an increasingly visible gap between the civilian government and the army, saying, “democracy has been strengthening in Pakistan and it has been receiving all possible support from the military.”
“Consultations are made on all major issues of national security and whenever called, the army supports the civilian government on various issues, ranging from natural disasters to development works,” DG ISPR said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Army chief General Raheel Sharif told German think-tank Koerber Foundation that Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war against terrorism and extremism were matchless and international community should “stand by us till dividends are fully realised.”
General Raheel went to a visit to two-day official visit of Germany on June 20 before traveling to Czech Republic to meet the civil and political leadership.
