RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif visited South Waziristan agency on Wednesday and inaugurated multiple projects as part of a post operation comprehensive rehabilitation plan for the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA), according to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The projects included the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-funded state of the art Wana cadet College Building for 500 children from Waziristan and rest of FATA. The college will be compatible with the best Cadet Colleges of Pakistan.
“The initiative will go a great length in propelling the local youth into professional colleges and change lives of their families,” the ISPR said.
Later, the COAS commissioned 132 KVA Grid Station and a 54 KM transmission line at Wana as modern power infrastructure for the people of FATA as their long standing demand.
While speaking at the occasion to a large gathering of tribals, the COAS said that these development projects would improve quality of life of common people, create job opportunities and usher this area into economic prosperity which is our main objective.
The COAS also visited Dera Ismail Khan and inaugurated the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded 62 kilometers DIK-Hathala-Tank dual carriage road as part of the 705 kilometers Central Trade Corridor linking this region with Afghanistan.
The newly constructed road by the Frontier Works Organization (FWO) will reduce traveling time between two cities from 4 hours to 40 minutes.
The army chief assured the locals that entire rehabilitation plan will be fully executed and the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will return as per plan to a better and infra-structurally much developed region. The tribal elders thanked the COAS for fulfilling promises made to them of all development work.
The COAS said that operation Zarb-e-Azb is in its final stage in the fewer left out pockets.
“Pakistan Army with support of the entire nation has successfully evicted terrorists from the area,” he said.
General Raheel Sharif appreciated the support of the tribal brethren in combating terrorism and acknowledged their sacrifices in the war against terrorism.
The COAS assured them that having paid the price for operational successes, terrorists would never be allowed to return and Army will not go back till job fully done.
In addition, he urged tribals to continue supporting security and rehabilitating operations to achieve end objective of enduring peace and prosperity in these areas.
