July 1, 2024
Staff Report
LAHORE:
In response to the federal government’s plan to launch a new military operation, Azm-e-Istehkam, rallies and jirgas were held in various cities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This follows Prime Minister Shehbaz Shareef’s approval of a “reinvigorated and re-energized national counter-terrorism campaign” during the June 22 meeting of the Central Apex Committee on the National Action Plan.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of Central Apex Committee on National Action Plan in Islamabad today. The meeting was attended by key the ministers of the federal cabinet, including the Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, Interior… pic.twitter.com/o8VGElMRkD
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) June 22, 2024
Despite the Prime Minister’s Office clarifying that Azm-e-Istehkam is not another operation like Zarb-e-Azb or Rah-e-Nijat, but rather an effort to re-contextualize support for ongoing military action against terrorists, public concerns continue to grow.
ملک کے پائیدار امن و استحکام کے لیے حال ہی میں اعلان کردہ وژن جس کا نام عزم استحکام رکھا گیا ہے، کو غلط سمجھا جا رہا ہے اور اس کا موازنہ گزشتہ مسلح آپریشنز جیسے ضرب عضب، راہ نجات وغیرہ سے کیا جا رہا ہے۔
گزشتہ مسلح آپریشنز میں ایسے معلوم مقامات جو نو-گو علاقے بننے کے ساتھ ساتھ… pic.twitter.com/BKCHdGpSbv
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) June 24, 2024
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), and Awami National Party (ANP) have vehemently rejected the operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, citing concerns over mass displacement and ethnic prejudice resulting from such military actions. 
On Sunday, June 30, youth activists in the Bara Tehsil of Khyber district organized a motorcycle rally to oppose any potential military offensive. They held white flags and placards, chanting slogans for peace and rejecting military operations.
In Bajaur, Jamaat-i-Islami held a rally that closed the main road to traffic for several hours.
Earlier, the PTI and JUI-F held separate jirgas in Peshawar. The jirga led by JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was attended by advisors from tribal districts, while the PTI jirga included participation from the chief of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
Both jirgas passed resolutions against the operation and demanded that the state fulfill its constitutional and legal responsibilities to establish peace in the tribal areas.
پشاور امن جرگہ میں متفقہ طور پر قرارداد منظور pic.twitter.com/aGRV7yaC2t
— Asad Qaiser (@AsadQaiserPTI) June 26, 2024
‘A new great game’
Afrasiab Khattak, former senator and leader of the National Democratic Movement, has dubbed the Azm-e-Istehkam operation as part of “a new great game.”
Speaking to Voicepk, Khattak questioned, “Why we are allowing our land to be used for this war?”
He explained that the operation reflects our state’s addiction to becoming the frontline state – and ‘to gain benefits from the war economy’.
Khattak said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa fear that this operation will bring bloodshed, cause displacements, and lead to the destruction of their homes. He also noted that the Apex Committee’s statement hinted at the possibility of additional legislation to counter terrorism. “But our experience is that such legislations are often used to target political opponents. If someone fears that Azm-e-Istehkam can be used for political victimization, there is some weight to this argument,” he added.