Army Chief General Asim Munir has said that the root cause of differences between Pakistan and Afghanistan is cross-border terrorism including the presence of banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) safe havens in the neighbouring country.
“Our policy is only Pakistan,” the army chief stated in a meeting with the leaders belonging to different political parties in Peshawar.
The army chief also assured the representatives of different political parties that no grand operation was being planned in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying that only intelligence-based operations (IBO) were being conducted against the militants.
Calling Afghanistan brotherly and Islamic country, the army chief said Pakistan has always sought cordial ties with the neighbouring country.
“The only difference with Afghanistan is the presence of Fitna al-Khawarij [TTP militants] in Afghanistan and the spread of terrorism in Pakistan from across the border, and it will remain so until they [Taliban rulers] resolve this matter,” the army chief remarked.
“Is spreading chaos not a sin in the eyes of Allah?,” the army chief remarked.
The army chief highlighted the importance of state saying: “If there is state, there is politics. God Forbid, if there is no state, there is nothing at all.”
COAS Munir called for standing against terrorism without discrimination and prejudice.
“The situation will improve if we move together,” he said, adding that humans are prone to committing mistakes but not learning from the blunders is even a bigger fault.
