Politically motivated digital terrorism to be comprehensively defeated: Pak army

RAWALPINDI: The top brass of Pakistan’s military noted on Thursday that the planners, perpetrators, abettors, and facilitators of the May 9 riots need to be brought to justice for the collective good of the country.

The views were expressed at the 83rd Formation Commanders Conference held at the military’s GHQ headquarters in Rawalpindi and attended by Army Chief General Asim Munir, all corps commanders, principal staff officers and formation commanders of the Pakistan army.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the forum noted that “politically motivated and vested digital terrorism” against state institutions, especially the armed forces, is meant to sow discord and “induce despondency” in the Pakistani nation.

“Conspirators duly abetted by their foreign cohorts are peddling blatant lies fake news and propaganda.

“However, the nation is fully cognisant of their ugly and ulterior motives and surely the designs of these nefarious forces will be comprehensively defeated,” added the military’s media wing.

The forum added that those responsible for the May 9 riots need to be brought to justice for the collective good of the country, adding that without swift justice and establishing the rule of law, “stability in the country will ever remain hostage to the machinations of such elements”.

Meanwhile, the corps commanders expressed serious concerns over continuous cross-border terrorist attacks orchestrated using Afghan soil, alleging that hostile foreign actors were using Afghanistan to target personnel and civilians inside Pakistan.

The forum acknowledged the priceless sacrifices of citizens in the Newly Merged Districts (NMDs) in the war against terrorism and underscored the importance of uplifting those areas, the media wing’s statement read.

“The forum expressed serious concerns over continued cross-border violations from Afghanistan and terrorism being orchestrated using Afghan soil, noting that Pakistan’s adversaries were using Afghanistan to target Security Forces and innocent civilians inside Pakistan,” a statement from the army said.

According to the ISPR, the conference’s participants also expressed solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip and oppressed Kashmiris in Indian-held Kashmir.

The commanders expressed complete solidarity with the Kashmiri people in their just struggle for the inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in UNSC Resolutions, the statement said

The forum showed concern over the treatment of minorities, especially Muslims, in India and noted the growing fascism being perpetrated to achieve vested political ends.

The conference’s members also condemned serious human rights violations perpetrated by Israel, and supported the International Court of Justice’s ruling to halt military operations in Rafah and all other operations within the Gaza Strip.

COAS Munir briefed the conference on the geostrategic dynamics of the region, emerging challenges to national security and the army’s strategy to counter threats in multiple domains.

The COAS appreciated the high standard of training displayed during exercises and the excellent performance of officers and troops in counter-terrorism operations.

“The forum offered fatiha (prayers) and paid tribute to the supreme sacrifices of shuhadas (martyrs), including officers and men of the armed forces, law enforcement agencies and citizens of Pakistan who laid their lives for the country’s safety, security, and sovereignty,” the military’s media wing said.