By Staff Reporter
RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s top military commander on Thursday reiterated the nation’s determination to eliminate terrorists and their infrastructure “wherever they may be” through precise, intelligence-based operations, even as the government announced a temporary pause in its ongoing offensive against the Afghan Taliban to observe the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Field Marshal Asim Munir, who serves as both chief of defense forces and chief of army staff, delivered the message during an interaction with ulema from the Ahl-e-Tasheeh community in Rawalpindi, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations, the military’s media wing. The meeting focused on national security and the role of religious scholars in fostering societal harmony.
Munir emphasised that the Afghan Taliban must prevent Afghan soil from being used to launch terrorism against Pakistan. He underscored Pakistan’s broader efforts at proactive diplomacy to promote regional de-escalation, particularly in light of the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. The field marshal highlighted the critical responsibility of ulema in strengthening national unity and countering extremism. Religious sentiments, he said, must not be exploited to incite violence within Pakistan. “Violence in Pakistan, on the basis of incidents occurring in another country, will not be tolerated,” the ISPR statement quoted him as saying.
He further stressed the ulema’s vital role in promoting unity, tolerance and national cohesion, especially in countering misinformation, sectarian narratives and externally sponsored destabilization efforts. The participants at the Rawalpindi gathering expressed their desire for peace and stability and condemned violence in the name of religion in the strongest terms. They offered their wholehearted support to law enforcement agencies in restoring and maintaining tranquility across the country, the military statement said.
A day earlier, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan had decided on a “temporary pause” in Operation Ghazab lil-Haq, the military campaign against the Afghan Taliban. The suspension, granted at the request of brotherly Islamic countries and in keeping with the spirit of Eid al-Fitr, will run from midnight March 18-19 to midnight March 23-24. “Pakistan offers this gesture in good faith and in keeping with Islamic norms,” Tarar said. “However, in case of any cross-border attack, drone strike or terrorist incident inside Pakistan, Operation Ghazab lil-Haq shall immediately resume with renewed intensity.”
The operation was launched on the night of Feb. 26 after cross-border firing by the Afghan Taliban. Shortly after Tarar’s announcement, the Afghan Taliban declared their own temporary suspension of military operations against Pakistan. Tarar provided a detailed accounting of the campaign’s impact. According to the minister, 707 militants have been killed and more than 938 injured. Pakistani forces destroyed 255 posts and captured 44 others, while eliminating 237 tanks, armored vehicles and artillery guns. Air strikes targeted 81 locations across Afghanistan.
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