News Analysis |
On Wednesday, Major Ishaq attained martyrdom while succumbing to injuries after being fired upon by terrorists in Tehsil Kulachi of District Dera Ismail Khan in the late hours of Tuesday night.
Director General ISPR, Major Gen Asif Ghafoor took to Twitter to laud the supreme sacrifice tendered by Major Ishaq. He tweeted: “Another son of soil Maj Ishaq embraces Shahadat. ‘We have a sacred duty at hand of cleansing & defending our motherland; WE SHALL DO IT.”
While giving out further details, the two-star General said that Major Ishaq, 28, belonged to Khushab and the 28-year old has a widow and a one-year-old son. His funeral took place in Dera Ismail Khan and was attended by the Army Chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Major Ishaq (PA 45152) graduated from the 118th PMA Long Course and joined the 21 Medium Artillery.
According to further details, Major Ishaq was leading a patrol party on routine patrolling when they decided to search the house of absconder terrorist, Zahir Shah of the TTP Gandapur Group. After Zahir Shah’s father did not answer the whereabouts of his son, Major Ishaq led his party inside the rooms. Suddenly, he came under fire from the terrorists perched in the room.
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The firing was followed by the lobbing of hand grenades. Major Ishaq got multiple injuries on his arms and abdomen. He succumbed to bullet injuries at CMH Dera Ismail Khan on Wednesday.
Dera Ismail Khan has been a restive area in terms of sectarian violence with prominent Shia leaders being killed and processions targeted. Thus, security forces’ success is paramount in the city. In recent years, DIK became famous for the jailbreak in which the TTP freed 200 of its members in the city.
Major Ishaq (PA 45152) graduated from the 118th PMA Long Course and joined the 21 Medium Artillery. He joins the list of those who laid down their lives in the War on Terror. Earlier this month, while effectively repulsing the attackers, Captain Junaid Hafeez and Sepoy Raham Sher, succumbed to their injuries.
Director General ISPR, Major Gen Asif Ghafoor took to Twitter to laud the supreme sacrifice tendered by Major Ishaq. He tweeted: “Another son of soil Maj Ishaq embraces Shahadat. ‘We have a sacred duty at hand of cleansing & defending our motherland; WE SHALL DO IT.”
Last month, Captain Hasnain embraced martyrdom in an IED blast while chasing the former captors of the Coleman-Boyle family in Kurram Agency. In September this year, the 22-year old Lt. Arslan was martyred when a sniper hit him from the Afghan side when he was manning a picket in the Rajgal Valley in Khyber Agency. Major Ishaq becomes the 193rd soldier of the Pakistan Army to have embraced martyrdom in 2017. So far, 6,856 officers/jawans have lost their lives in the war on terror since 2003. This is a good reason for Pakistan to demand others to “do more”.
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Pakistan is a country that has been on the forefront in the fight against terror. Due to robust and successful counterterrorism military operations, Pakistan has militarily turned the tide in its favour. According to the Global Peace Index 2017, 736 terror attacks took place in Pakistan during 2016, which resulted in 956 deaths, a 12 percent decline in terror-related deaths from 2015.
A 108-page detailed report was produced by the Institute of Economics and Peace, an Australian based research group. The report ascribed the reduction of terrorists’ activities to the considerable weakness of the Tehreek-e-Taliban, Pakistan. The report notes:” The reduction in deaths from terrorism is in part attributable to Operation Zarb-e-Azb by the Pakistani Army; a military effort which started in mid-2014.”
Despite placing Pakistan as the fifth most impacted country from terrorism, the report acknowledges that Pakistan has shown positive results of its efforts to combat terrorism. This resonates well with Pakistan’s long-held position. It has categorically asserted that now it is time for others to reciprocate.
Earlier this month, in a one on one meeting with Commander CENTCOM, COAS General Bajwa took exceptions to the fact that Afghanistan has not reciprocated, as attacks from across the border continue.
Major Ishaq got multiple injuries on his arms and abdomen. He succumbed to bullet injuries at CMH Dera Ismail Khan on Wednesday.
In Pakistan experts, commentators, and practitioners have raised serious question marks on why Afghan soil is being continually used to mount attacks on Pakistan. What’s more noteworthy is that hardcore terrorists, who gloated about attacks in Pakistan including the carnage at the Army Public School Peshawar in December 2014, are still at large in Afghanistan.
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Last week, Islamabad’s narrative was given a stamp of approval when Afghanistan’s Chief Executive, Abdullah Abdullah admitted that Taliban is present inside Afghanistan. However, the question that is being asked is whether the US will chase an abstract victory or come on the talking table. The current policy indicates that the US is not in the mood to relinquish the military option. With the US Generals pushing ahead plan to militarily defeat the Taliban, a policy shift is not on the table.