Quetta [Pakistan], August 24 : Pakistan on Thursday approved PKR 60 billion additional funds to carry out Operation Azm-e-Istehkam and would immediately release PKR 20 billion to combat rising violence and terrorism in two provinces, The Express Tribune reported.
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet approved PKR 20 billion as a special allocation for Operation Azm-e-Istehkam during the current fiscal year 2024-25, according to an official announcement by the Ministry of Finance.
An official of the ministry said that the remaining nearly PKR 40 billion will be disbursed during the second half of the fiscal year and will be utilised for procurement of advanced military gadgets.
The decision was made during a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Thursday, chaired by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in Islamabad, according to a report by The Express Tribune.
However, several human rights organizations have previously highlighted that such military operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan could worsen the human rights situation.
Last month, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) raised serious concerns about Operation Azm-e-Istehkam by the Pakistan Army and called for the protection of citizens' rights due to significant opposition to the military operation in these regions.
HRCP Chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt stressed that the state must balance political considerations with security needs and urged Parliament to deliberate on the operation transparently. In a press statement, the HRCP said, "The state must not forget that such measures are as political as they are security-driven, The Tribune reported.
The Free Balochistan Movement (FBM) had also condemned Pakistan's 'Operation Azm-e-Istehkam' as a "widened terror plan" by the establishment aimed at carrying out genocide against the Baloch and Pashtun peoples.
The FBM said in a statement that the "occupying Pakistani Army" has announced another military operation in "Balochistan and Pashtunistan," ostensibly to safeguard Chinese interests and pursue expansionist ambitions.
The statement noted a significant mobilisation of military units equipped with heavy weaponry across various areas of Balochistan. It highlighted that, while such operations have occurred in occupied Balochistan in the past, the direct involvement of China marks a new dimension.
The FBM further asserted that this large-scale military operation aims to secure Chinese investments in occupied Balochistan, thereby eliminating opposition from Baloch and Pashtun communities to Chinese exploitation.
Both nations oppose foreign investment and infrastructure on their lands without their consent, the statement read.
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