Azm-e-Istehkam not an operation, but a vision to assert state authority
Pakistan
Strategy aims to establish authority with nationwide participation in fight against terrorism
By Adeel Warraich
ISLAMABAD – Vision Azm-e-Istehkam is not merely an operation but a strategy and vision that is a continuation of the National Internal Security Policy 2023-2028.
Failure to implement the previously announced policy could exacerbate the security situation in the country.
The strategy aims to establish state authority with nationwide participation in fight against terrorism.
Actions by provincial governments, effective legal support and national unity against terrorism and extremism are crucial for its complete eradication.
Engaging political parties and addressing their concerns is the government's responsibility, not the military's, security sources say, adding that the government's role is to foster political consensus, while the military focuses solely on its operational duties.
Despite significant successes in the war against terrorism, inadequate coordination among federating units and incomplete implementation of action plans have hindered leveraging these successes. All organs of the state must be actively involved in this effort, rather than placing the burden solely on security forces.
According to security sources, currently there are no no-go areas in the country. “The threat of terrorism remains hybrid, intertwined with a nexus of terrorists and criminal syndicates that must be dismantled.”
Over the past six months, the highest number of intelligence-based operations have been carried out in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where 1,063 terrorism incidents have been reported since January 2024.
During this period, 22,714 intelligence-based operations have been conducted in the two provinces which saw 111 security personnel embracing martyrdom with 354 terrorist casualties.
Details indicate that Rangers and law enforcement agencies conducted 131 joint operations in Kachha area of Punjab, resulting in a significant drop in crime rate.
While Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir exhibit better security, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan continue to be at the receiving end of terrorism. The province of Sindh faces a high crime rate.
In 2023, at least 1,346 suspects were arrested on terrorism charges, with 605 pending cases in anti-terrorism courts, but only 217 led to convictions.
The overall national conviction rate for terrorists in 2023 stood at 44 percent, with Punjab leading in convictions at 72 percent, followed by Sindh at 54 percent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 35 percent and Balochistan six percent.
According to authorities, since 2014, despite a policy necessitating madrassa (seminary) registration, only 51.2 percent have complied. The fact that just 16,300 out of 32,000 madrassas got registered in the span of a decade is quite alarming.
