ISLAMABAD – On Tuesday, the federal cabinet gave the green light to the Azm-e-Istehkam Operation following its endorsement by the National Action Plan’s Apex Committee, according to sources familiar with the development.
During the cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister addressed the prevailing ambiguities and speculations surrounding Operation Azm-i-Istehkam. He clarified that this operation is distinct from previous ones, emphasizing that it will be an intelligence-based operation without any relocations involved.
“It will be an intelligence-based operation with no relocations involved,” the sources quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
The PM further explained that this initiative is a continuation of the National Action Plan and will be conducted accordingly. He assured the public that there would be no inconvenience or intrusive actions in people’s homes during Operation Azm-i-Istehkam. The operation will focus solely on targeting disruptive elements through intelligence-based actions.
Earlier in the day, there were misunderstandings regarding the newly announced vision for enduring stability named Azm-e-Istehkam, with some comparing it to earlier kinetic operations like Zarb-e-Azb and Rah-e-Nijat.
The Prime Minister’s Office clarified that previous kinetic operations were aimed at physically dislodging terrorists from their known locations, which had become no-go areas and compromised the state’s authority. These operations required mass displacement of local populations and systematic clearance of affected areas.
The statement emphasized that there are no such no-go areas in the country now, as the ability of terrorist entities to carry out large-scale organized operations inside Pakistan has been decisively degraded by earlier kinetic operations.
The statement also noted that no large-scale military operation requiring the displacement of the population is being considered.
