Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Babar Iftikhar has said that talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) are on hold, adding that Pakistan will continue its operations to take them on "until they get rid of the menace".
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, the Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Babar Iftikhar said that the ceasefire expired on December 9 last year, adding that Pakistan started talking to TTP at the request of Afghanistan's present rulers.
"The ceasefire was a confidence-building measure taken ahead of talks with these violent non state actors on the request of the current afghan government," he added.
However, he said, there were some problems and conditions that were non-negotiable from our side and "so there is no ceasefire"."There is no ceasefire, we are fighting, we are taking them on and are conducting operations everyday and we will continue to do so till the time we get rid of this mess."
Pak-Afgan border 'fence of peace'
While talking about the Pak-Afghan border, the DG ISPR said that the work that is underway and will be completed in some time. "The fence on the Pak-Afghan border is needed to regulate security, border crossing and trade. The purpose of this is not to divide but to protect them."
"The blood of our martyrs was spilled in fencing of the border. It is a fence of peace. It will be completed and remain," the DG ISPR said.
He said the recent uprooting of the fence by Taliban fighters as "one or two localised problems", which he said is being discussed by the governments of both countries.
Iftikhar shared that 67 new wings of FC Balochistan and FC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were established in the year 2021 to further strengthen the border security. He said the process has also been started to establish six more wings.
Propaganda against institutions
The DG ISPR said that some element from within the country and outside had launched a smear campaign against state institutions and persons to "damage people's trust".
"We are aware of these efforts and their various linkages. Those who spew half-truths, fake news and false propaganda to target institutions and damage the country, have failed and will fail," he said.
'Talk of any deal baseless speculation'
On rumours of a deal with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's leader Nawaz Sharif, the DG ISPR said 'that all of this is baseless speculation".
"If anyone is talking about a deal, please ask them who is doing the deal. What is the evidence of such a deal. There is no such thing."