Federal cabinet gives go-ahead to operation Azm-e-Istehkam

The federal cabinet has approved the decision of the apex committee to initiate the Azm-e-Istehkam operation against militants under the National Action Plan, sources said on Tuesday. 

According to the sources, PM Shehbaz Sharif directed the authorities that the operation should not be trouble for the residents and no raid would be conducted on anyone’s house to capture the target.

“Only intelligence base operation would be carried out against terrorists,” sources said quoting the premier.

The decision came after the announcement of the apex committee on Saturday, leading to rumours and speculations about the displacement of people like in previous operations, Zarb-e-Azab and Rah-e-Najaat.

However, the opposition, including PTI and JUI-F opposed the government’s decision, saying the government did not take them into confidence before deciding on the operation.

On the other hand, Defence Minister Khwaja Asif said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa did not have any disagreement with the Apex Committee. CM Ali Amin Gandapur supported the operation in hushed words. 

He said the operation would begin from KP and Balochistan, and all the requirements for the stability operation would be fulfilled.

However, the PM also clarified that Azm-e-Istehkam would not be a large-scale operation, nor government was deliberating to extend it.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister House late at night on Monday, cleared that Operation ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ aimed to reinvigorate and re-energise the national counter-terrorism campaign.