Pakistan's New Counterterrorism Strategy: A Shift in Tactics

The Pakistan government announced 'Operation Azm-i-Istehkam' to address the rising threat of terrorism. Unlike previous campaigns, this operation will focus on intensifying intelligence-based operations rather than large-scale military actions. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif assured opposition parties that their concerns would be addressed.

The Pakistan government faced criticism for not consulting Parliament before announcing a new counterterrorism operation, 'Operation Azm-i-Istehkam'. However, officials clarified that it would not be a large-scale military campaign, but rather an intensification of existing intelligence-based operations.

The operation aims to address the rising threat of terrorism, which has been a growing concern due to the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) using Afghan soil for attacks against Pakistan. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that previous kinetic operations have significantly reduced the terrorists' ability to organize large-scale actions within Pakistan.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif assured opposition parties and the public that their concerns would be addressed, stressing that the operation seeks to culminate the recent surge in terrorism and is a national priority requiring cooperation from all state institutions.