Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has claimed that nothing was clear about the counterterrorism campaign Operation Azm-i-Istehkam as there was no mention of any kind of operation in the apex committee.
“A name ‘Azm-i-Pakistan’ was discussed in the apex committee, but the word ‘operation’ was not included with it. The committee had outlined a policy to eradicate terrorism. I want to meet the military leadership and talk about the operation,” he told reporters in Rawalpindi on Monday.
“The discussion was about peace and security, and providing incentives.”
On Saturday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the reinvigorated counterterrorism Operation Azm-i-Istehkam.
“Azm-e-Istehkam will integrate and synergise multiple lines of effort to combat the menaces of extremism and terrorism in a comprehensive and decisive manner,” according to a statement issued after the Central Apex Committee on National Action Plan in Islamabad on Saturday.
It was approved with the consensus of all stakeholders including provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Gandapur clarified that he had not met with the army chief or the spy agency head and reiterated that he wanted to meet the military leadership to talk about the operation.
The provincial chief minister added that he had no contact with the federal government institutions. He alleged that former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa had a plan with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif or the United States to topple the PTI government.
He called for taking provinces, people, Parliament, and stakeholders into confidence before taking any decision, saying that the government cannot fight terrorism without the people’s support.
Gandapur also strongly criticised KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, saying that he does not give any importance to him.
When asked, he said: “It should be asked if is there a need for operation. Where it has to be conducted and how? Our policy is clear that we have to first take people into confidence.”
Gandapur has decided to take PTI and parliamentarians into confidence over apex committee decisions, sources said on Monday.
He is expected to meet the lawmakers at the KP House today where the latter would share their concerns related to the counterterrorism campaign.
