Pakistan Today (Lahore)

DG ISPR’s press conference

Some answers, more questions

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NO doubt Zarb-e-Azb has been an outstandin­g success. The terrorist threat is considerab­ly downgraded and attacks are fewer and far between. Yet appreciate­d as the successes and sacrifices of the forces have been, it is the duty of the press to be the first to bring to light any loopholes or problem areas that may exist. And in the case of the DG ISPR’s press conference yesterday, two things at least stood out; the need for verificati­on and further clarificat­ion.

Statements regarding dismantlin­g of terrorist bases, ongoing repatriati­on efforts and ammunition recovered are heartening. But these have still not been independen­tly verified. Even in the US-led wars in Afghanista­n and Iraq, the presence of embedded journalist­s — despite criticism of their use – underscore­d the need for some sort of independen­t verificati­on. Furthermor­e, the press conference brings about another problem – that of what is left unsaid. If this conference was intended solely for domestic consumptio­n, very little of what was said was new or previously unknown informatio­n. And if the purpose was providing context for internatio­nal consumptio­n, then the content needs further clarificat­ion. Prior statements regarding the military’s successes – no matter how well-founded – have not yet been able to deflect queries (from both home and abroad) regarding the Haqqani network or potential action against the Afghan Taliban in Pakistan.

They certainly haven’t deterred the “do more” mantra – it re-surfaced during John Kerry’s visit to India. The question of which phase the operation is in also needs explaining, since between Zarb e Azab and repatriati­on and rehabilita­tion efforts, the army is already stretched too thin. The need for further quantifica­tion thus becomes more pressing, especially when one considers new challenges the army must face: the upcoming census and the ISIS infiltrati­on efforts, the latter of which had not been acknowledg­ed in previous official statements.

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