Army commanders resolve to thwart hostile acts

Islamabad: A conference of army corps commanders on Thursday resolved to take “all measures” to thwart activities of hostile intelligence agencies in Pakistan.

Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif chaired the conference at the General Headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi near Islamabad.

The conference was held against the backdrop of arrest last month in southwestern Balochistan province of an alleged operative of India’s intelligence agency RAW, named Kulbhushan Yadav.

On Wednesday, security forces reportedly nabbed an agent of the Afghan espionage agency in Chaman, a town in Balochistan on the border with Afghanistan.

A military statement said the corps commanders conference made “an exhaustive review of internal and external security situation, including the ongoing operations against terrorists in the country.”

The forum was also apprised about the activities of “Hostile intelligence agencies inside Pakistan and the response thereof,” the statement said.

“It was resolved to take all measures to block hostile acts against Pakistan, which can undermine our security and growth,” it added.

Following Yadav’s arrest, the military showed to media his video statement in which he admitted to aiding separatist insurgency in Balochistan and fomenting unrest in Karachi.

India has said the arrested man was a retired officer of its navy with no links with the government, while Pakistan claimed he was a serving naval officer working with RAW.

The spokesman of Pakistan Foreign Office told reporters Thursday that India’s request for consular access to Yadav was under consideration.