No military operation in Tirah Valley, if there was one it would be officially announced, says Ahmed Chaudhry
Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry has dismissed reports of any agreement between Pakistan and the United States on drone operations in Afghanistan, calling them “completely baseless.”
“Pakistan has no agreement with the US and no official complaint regarding drones has been received from the Taliban regime,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said while speaking to senior journalists on Monday.
He added that the Ministry of Information had clarified the matter several times. “There is no arrangement to allow drones to operate from Pakistan to Afghanistan,” emphasizes DG ISPR.
Lt Gen Chaudhry accused the Taliban regime of facilitating terrorists and said Pakistan had made it clear to the Taliban during the Istanbul talks that it was their responsibility to control terrorism and explained how they would do it.
“These were our people. When we launched operations against them, they fled to Afghanistan. Hand them over to us and we will deal with them according to the Constitution and the law,” he said.
DG ISPR said the real challenge lies in the nexus between terrorists, criminal networks and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He alleged that these groups are involved in opium cultivation, earning between 1.8 and 2.5 million rupees per acre, a trade that attracts local people and warlords. He added that the benefits are shared between the Afghan Taliban, the TTP and regional warlords.
