Rana Sanaullah sent a letter to Mahmood Khan Achakzai requesting that the latter meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Achakzai stated, "Or I can go to him at the prime minister's house and give him an invitation."
Sanaullah insisted there is no issue of ego or stubbornness regarding the meeting. The official questioned the rationale of the "come here or come there" talk, saying it does not change anything.
Security concerns were highlighted as Sanaullah warned that civilians could suffer collateral damage during intelligence-based operations in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Sanaullah also noted reports suggesting Israeli involvement in the attacks.
Pakistan's armed forces closed the border with Afghanistan, a route through which Sanaullah claims no trade is taking place. Militant groups typically comprised 3 to 15 members, with around 70% of militants present in areas designated for operations.
A separate development committee was established for the affected areas. Sanaullah said, "People have been told either to drive these elements out of their populated areas or, if they do not want to do so, to move aside themselves so that the operation can proceed. If neither of these options is possible, there is a risk of collateral damage."
Over the past 6 months, 7,177 intelligence-based operations had been conducted.
