Zarb-i-Azb: work still left to do, says DG ISPR

ISLAMABAD: Addressing a press conference on the two-year anniversary of Operation Zarb-i-Azb, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt Gen Asim Bajwa presented major achievements of the operation so far – listing progress made on various fronts.

But he emphasised that the job is not yet finished and that there was work still left to do – including improving the border management mechanism with Afghanistan as well as clearing restive pockets in areas of Swat.

Bajwa said some 3,600 square kilometres were cleared initially in the operation, which has gone up 4,304 sq km in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and North Waziristan.

"There was recruitment going on in North Waziristan, suicide jackets were spreading throughout the country. That has been controlled."

"There are just the last few pockets remaining in the Shawal valley," said Bajwa.

He also revealed the challenges faced in the field, such as the dense forest and the unprecedented height of the Shawal valley and Dattakhel.

"Tribes have been rid of terrorists forever from here, after much difficulty and sacrifices from both locals and the armed forces alike," he said.

Borders

Border management is still a challenge and management mechanisms are an upcoming focus, said Bajwa.

"There are 1,350 kilometres of open, porous border with Afghanistan just in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, with only eight crossing points in that length," said Bajwa.

"Strengthening existing crossing points and raising paramilitary forces to bolster border management along the rest of the length is the new challenge."

Intelligence-based operations

"When Zarb-i-Azb started, there was a big debate and fear of blowback," said Bajwa, adding the intelligence-based operations were an "innovative solution".

This entailed interrogating captives and information-gathering from locals alike. Bajwa praised the participation of communities.

"Ever since the population started becoming more aware, the number of facilitators have been reduced and networks have been broken apart in over 280 such operations."