JuD chief Hafiz Saeed's house arrest is a policy decision: DG ISPR

RAWALPINDI: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor briefed the media on Tuesday, stating that restrictions on Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed was a policy decision.

Authorities have placed JuD chief Professor Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and four others under house arrest.

“This was a policy decision taken by the state in the national interest and several institutions will have to play their role. This news came yesterday and in the coming days more details will be available,” DG ISPR said. 

The DG ISPR emphasised that there was no foreign pressure behind this decision and it was taken in national interest. 

Army has no links to missing bloggers' disappearances: DG ISPR

DG ISPR said that Pak Army has no connection with the disappearances of the missing bloggers. Two of the missing bloggers. Salman Haider and Asim Saeed, had returned home last week.

"As for the bloggers story, it’s in front of the media. We don’t have any connections to it, even their disappearances have nothing to do with army," he said.

“Whatever statements they (bloggers) made are in front of the media,” DG ISPR added. 

While responding to a question about Dawn Leaks, Major General Ghafoor said that the inquiry is in progress and upon completion the government will share it with media.

On Jan 28, missing blogger Salman Haider had returned home. On Jan 29, social activist and blogger Asim Saeed, who had gone missing earlier this month, returned home 'safely', his family had confirmed to the BBC Urdu. 

Asim Saeed had gone missing on January 4, along with another blogger Waqas Goraya. Fatima Jinnah University Professor and blogger Salman Haider had disappeared on January 6.

The matter of Dawn Leaks emerged in October, when Dawn Media Group journalist Cyril Almeida published a report on an alleged civil-military rift over the issue of tackling jihadi outfits.

Pakistan's top military commanders had expressed serious concern over what they called the "feeding of a false and fabricated story of an important security meeting", terming it a breach of national security.

'War not the solution'

Speaking on Pakistan's relations with India, the DG ISPR said. "India is our neighbour and we do not want war with anyone because war is not the solution to problems."

Major General Ghafoor said Pakistan wanted to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue but the desire for peace should not be considered a weakness. 

He added that in the last three years 945 ceasefire violations have taken place at the Line of Control (LoC). "In the last four months alone 314 violations have taken place in which 46 Pakistanis have been martyred while in retaliation 40 Indian soldiers have been killed."  

The DG ISPR added that Indian was doing this according to a plan which was to divert international attention from the atrocities in Occupied Kashmir. "The drama of surgical strike was a part of this plan."  

All institutions contributed in war against terrorism 

During his briefing, DG ISPR said all institutions had contributed in the war against terrorism.

According to the DG ISPR, 70,000 Pakistanis had sacrificed their lives in this ongoing war. He added that the atmosphere for peace had been improving over time.  DG ISPR further said 84 per cent of the tribals displaced had returned home.

Karachi operation 

Major General Ghafoor said the law and order situation had improved in Karachi and over 9,000 operations were carried out in the city. "In the last two years, Rangers have conducted successful operations in Karachi which have improved the situation in the city." 

He added that there had been a 90 per cent decline in incidents of terrorism, extortion and target killing. "Street crimes continue. Rangers and Sindh police with the cooperation of the city's residents will continue their work and Insha'Allah be successful."