Tag: terrorism

  • Modi, Biden demand Pakistan should take the initiative to end ‘cross-border terrorism’

    Modi, Biden demand Pakistan should take the initiative to end ‘cross-border terrorism’

    United States (US) President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi have demanded that Pakistan should ensure that Pakistani land will not be used by terrorists.

    Indian premier is currently visiting the United States.

    The statement has been issued after a meeting between Biden and Modi.

    Both leaders have demanded action against terrorist groups allegedly based in Pakistan, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

    “They strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks,” the 58-point statement issued by the White House read.

    Both the leaders demanded action against perpetrators of attacks, including the Mumbai and Pathankot incidents.

    The leaders have also demanded that the Afghan Taliban should respect human rights, and the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

  • Rare show of unity as PTI calls out Indian FM for remarks about Bilawal

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Twitter strongly called out Indian Foreign Minister (FM) S. Jaishankar after he used undiplomatic language for Pakistan and its FM Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari post an important moot of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

    In a media conference, a visibly rattled Jaishankar called Bilawal a “promoter, justifier and spokesperson of a terrorism industry.”

    “Victims of terrorism do not sit together with its perpetrators to discuss terrorism,” he said, adding that “as a member of SCO, Bilawal was treated accordingly.”

    PTI’s Fawad Chaudhry put aside political differences to respond that the Indian FM should be ashamed for passing such remarks.

    “Pakistan has made great sacrifices in the war against terrorism, now the foreign minister of a Hindu extremist group, who is involved in the worst terrorism against its own citizens, should be ashamed of himself for speaking such nonsense.”

    Similarly, Zulfi Bukhari called this a petty act and reminded India of its values.

    He pointed out, “Whatever happened to mehman bhagwan hota hai? Or has that idea gone down the drain just like a secular India.”

    When Bilawal returned back to the country, he held a press conference to brief members of the media about his visit. He also responded to the remarks made by India’s FM, saying that he can’t do anything if their hatred has risen this much.

    Asking if he ever sat with any terrorist, Bilawal was of the view that India not only wants to declare every Muslim a terrorist but also him.

    The minister added that Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism and is against any appeasement with terrorist organisations.

  • ‘Of course’: Bilawal confirms he shook hands with Indian FM but no bilateral engagement held

    ‘Of course’: Bilawal confirms he shook hands with Indian FM but no bilateral engagement held

    Pakistani Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who just wrapped up his visit to Goa, said that he did shake hands with his Indian counter partner S. Jaishankar at a dinner that was held in an unofficial capacity.

    During an interview with India Today, Bilawal said, “In all our unofficial engagements we always shake hands and we had dinner conversations amongst other foreign ministers but we did not hold a bilateral engagement.”

    Earlier, when both ministers greeted each other in front of the media they didn’t shake hands and this created headlines in India.

    Clearing up the confusion, Bilawal said that his aim to visit India was to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). “Unless India reviews the action it took on August 5, 2019 (abrogation of Article 370), Pakistan is not in a position to engage bilaterally with India.”

    When pointed out by a journalist that “Pakistan can’t sponsor terror directed against India”, the minister, taking a jibe at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said “This wolf whistling around the word terrorism which is ultimately an Islamophobic wolf whistle not only to whip up Hindu sentiment in India but also to brow beat Pakistan, that might be election strategy for some but not effective terrorism strategy”

    The Pakistani foreign minister said the country wishes to quell terrorism “not because India said it or the Indian government said so, but because we want to end this menace”. He said terrorism has caused the “largest number of casualties” in Pakistan among any of the other SCO countries.

    “India will have to explain what Kulbhushan Jadhav, a state actor, a navy commander, was doing in Pakistan carrying out terrorist attacks on Pakistani soil. Does that not come under cross-border terrorism?” he asked.

    Bilawal also reminded Indian Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai that Pakistan is the only country on Earth that has completed two Financial Action Task Force (FATF) objectives.

    He said that it is not productive for India to continue accusing Pakistan of sponsoring terror activities.

    Pointing out that India violated bilateral agreements and international agreements on Aug 5, 2019, by revoking the special status of Jammu Kashmir, Bilawal Bhutto also mentioned the 2007 Samjhauta Express bombing where around 70 people, mostly Pakistanis, were killed. “We are yet to see any justice,” he reminded Sardesai.

    He repeatedly said that both India and Pakistan have different perspectives on terrorism, adding that Pakistan is “willing to engage with any concerns that India might have but India will also have to address our concerns.”

  • ‘Propaganda’: DG ISPR dismisses social media reports of possible martial law

    ‘Propaganda’: DG ISPR dismisses social media reports of possible martial law

    Director-General (DG) of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, on Tuesday, held a press conference solely to brief the media on terrorist attacks that have recently taken place in the country.

    However, a journalist asked the DG about social media reports that claimed that martial law is going to be imposed in the country.

    Terming the reports as “baseless”, the general said that every day and night there are accounts on social media with or without names that spread this kind of this propaganda.

    Pointing out that every person is entitled to have an opinion, he stated, “we think the talks on social media against the army, institutions and their officeholders are not only irresponsible and unwise but unconstitutional.”

    “Our discipline doesn’t give us permission to respond to each and every speculation”, he stated at one point.

    He also reaffirmed that the army doesn’t support any particular political party. “All political parties and all leaders are respectable for us”, the Major General said.

    He was also of the view that it is not in the best interest of the country that the army should be involved in political matters.

    Talking about India, Sharif said New Delhi’s “aggressive designs and baseless accusations and claims” would not change history or occupied Kashmir’s internationally recognised status.

    “If need be, we can take this battle into the enemy’s territory. I also feel it is important to say that if India thinks of any misadventure due to any miscalculation or misunderstanding, then let there be no doubt that the army would give a befitting response with national support.”

  • No more deals with TTP; army determined to get rid of terrorism

    The army’s top brass has vowed to eliminate terrorism, extremism and instability in Pakistan by following a “whole-of-the-system” approach which was approved by the government on Friday.

    In a Corps Commanders’ Conference held in Rawalpindi, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir said that military leadership is cognizant of the full spectrum of the challenges posed by terrorism and it “resolves to shoulder its constitutionally mandated responsibilities with the support of the resilient people of Pakistan”.

    The top tier of the army reiterated the commitment of military forces to fully support national responses against internal and external threats. 

    A day earlier, in a briefing given to the members of the National Assembly (NA), COAS Munir said that negotiations with militants in the past helped terrorists regroup in the country, referring to the Imran Khan government that signed a ceasefire with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

    Earlier, National Security Committee (NSC) also decided to kickstart an all-out comprehensive operation against militant outfits. 

    Since government talks with the TTP broke down in November, the militant group has intensified its attacks across Pakistan including attacks on the police.

  • Donald Blome assures Pakistan of US cooperation on IMF deal

    The US Ambassador to Pakistan, Donald Blome, expressed hope for a deal between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stating that Washington was prepared to support the country’s efforts to resume its stalled $6.5 billion bailout program.

    Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Blome assured journalists that the IMF bailout package for Islamabad would take its final shape in a couple of days. He added that the United States was ready to cooperate with Pakistan to help address the issue and expressed a willingness to help Islamabad with its ongoing terrorism challenges.

    Blome recently visited important cities in Pakistan to meet with groups from different walks of life and noted that there had been significant progress in diplomatic relations between the two countries.

    Pakistan and the IMF have been in discussions regarding a stalled bailout package since late last year, with the country seeking a $1.1bn tranche to address its worsening balance of payments crisis and to enable friendly affluent capitals to provide assistance to overcome ongoing financial complexities.

    Both sides are engaged in negotiations to reach a mutually agreeable package that would help the cash-strapped nation come out of its ongoing economic turmoil.

    Interestingly, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had previously stated that Pakistan would strike a staff-level agreement (SLA) with the IMF in a few days, as the government remained committed to completing the loan program signed in 2019.

    However, after failing to convince the lender, Dar had reportedly contacted the US envoy earlier this week to get “lenient treatment” from the Fund, which has been persistent with its demands.

  • Six terrorists shot down by CTD in Lakki Marwat operation

    Six terrorists shot down by CTD in Lakki Marwat operation

    At least six terrorists were gunned down during an operation in the Dadowala area of Lakki Marwat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), counter-terrorism department (CTD) officials have confirmed.

    According to the CTD, ammunition and explosives were recovered from the slain terrorists who were involved in terror attacks and assaults on security forces.

    CTD added that the operation was launched after it received information regarding the presence of the terrorists in Dadowala. The department added that the terrorists were planning to launch an attack on the Abbasia police check post.

    Terrorism is rising again across the country as attacks increased since the end of the ceasefire with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) last year.

  • Military, civilian leadership has put full stop on Khan’s appeasement policy on terrorists: Bilawal

    Military, civilian leadership has put full stop on Khan’s appeasement policy on terrorists: Bilawal

    Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that negotiating with those people who don’t accept Pakistan and its constitution is not in favour of the country or it’s people.

    In an interview with German broadcaster DW Urdu, the foreign minister said that the previous government was asking the interim Afghan government to facilitate reconciliation with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and had plans to resettle the militants in Pakistan.

    “Every Pakistani was saying that terrorists who were involved in heinous attacks such as the Army Public School massacre could never be our friends”, said Bilawal.

    Earlier in an interview with CNBC, Bilawal said, “Unfortunately, following the fall of Kabul, the government that preceded ours started negotiating with these very same terrorist groups and without preconditions such as disarming.”

    The foreign minister said that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition government and military leadership have “put a full stop to the policy of appeasement”.

    Citing the porous border with Afghanistan, the Foreign Minister said that the new government doesn’t have the capacity to man it.

    “We are confident that we’ll be able to take on the terrorist groups that are functioning within Pakistan,” he said.

    Discussing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Bilawal said that if he strives to pursue a democratic path and commits to play a constitutional role, he can have a future, adding that Khan’s ouster through a vote of no-confidence motion was the first time parliament removed a prime minister in a democratic way.

    However, since his ouster, Khan has been asking the army for help in getting back to power, the foreign minister alleged.

     “If the military says it wants to change its controversial conduct constitutionally, it should be welcomed.”

    While responding to a question regarding the statement about Pakistan’s bankruptcy made by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Bilawal said: “He was talking in a political context at a political gathering and he was referring to the harsh economic times rather than speaking technically. He was talking in the overall context of the country.”

  • Gen Bajwa wanted to ‘resettle’ members of TTP in the country, claims Shireen Mazari

    Gen Bajwa wanted to ‘resettle’ members of TTP in the country, claims Shireen Mazari

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shireen Mazari has claimed that former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa wanted to “resettle” members of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the country, after Afghan Taliban’s take over of Kabul in August 2021.

    “Bajwa at one point brought up the matter (of Taliban) — General Faiz Hameed was also present at the time — that there are Pakistani nationality families in the TTP who want to return to the country,” said Mazari, while speaking on Dawn News programme ‘Doosra Rukh’, which will air at 7pm tonight.

    “If they accept the Constitution and lay down their arms, something should be done for some sort of resettlement and talks should be held,” narrated Mazari adding that it was clearly decided that before initiating a dialogue, a committee will be formed between the elected representatives and the military to “form a consensus as our elected people have a lot of reservations.”

    The former minister asserted that the blame for failing to deal with the TTP would “fall not on us but the imported government”.

    The PTI leader insisted that Gen Faiz had made a visit “in the beginning to talk to the Afghan government” and not the Taliban.

    On Friday, TTP attacked the Karachi police chief’s office, martyring three persons including security personnel while 18 people sustained injuries. Five terrorists were also killed in the attack.

  • Will be happiest to leave govt as soon as elections are held, says CM Mohsin Naqvi

    Will be happiest to leave govt as soon as elections are held, says CM Mohsin Naqvi

    Caretaker Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, has said that he doesn’t wish to prolong his tenure as head of government in the province.

    Talking to journalists, he said that he would be happiest to leave the government as soon as the elections are held. He clarified that the election date is the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) job, and his government is ready to conduct free and fair elections in the province.

    About the ever-growing danger of terrorism in Punjab, the caretaker CM said the government is boosting the capabilities of the already efficient Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in the province.

    It is pertinent to mention Mohsin has been under fire lately by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for what they allege is a failure to set a date for by-polls in Punjab.