RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Tuesday said that the Operation Zarb-e-Azb had irreversibly eradicated Terrorist networks from Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA).
While addressing the Jirga of tribal elders during his visit to North and South Waziristan on Tuesday, the COAS said that we have made considerable gains in our operations and reached close to our objective of total elimination of terrorism from our soil.
Paying glowing tributes to tribal people, the COAS lauded them for their full support to the security forces in their effort for peace and stability of the region.
The COAS assured the tribals that Pakistan Army and the government are determined to ensure all promises made for their socio-economic development are delivered to open avenues of prosperity and socio economic turnaround.
“We will give a secure and prosperous Pakistan to our future generations”, he added.
Tribal elders thanked the COAS for cleansing their area from terrorists, bringing peace and ensuring a quality reconstruction work.
During his visit, the COAS was briefed about the progress of stablization operations, return of temporarily displaced persons (TDPs) and development works in FATA.
Expressing his satisfaction on the progress of return of TDPs, the army chief commended the efforts of everyone involved in ensuring their smooth and timely return with dignity and honour. He directed them to complete the return of remaining TDPs within stipulated time before close of the year 2016.
As part of a comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction effort, significant rehabilitation projects were commissioned today. 84-kilomoter long Bannu-Miranshah-Ghulam Khan Road funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and constructed by Frontier Works Organization (FWO) was opened. This would become the shortest trade route to Afghanistan wherein Travelling time between Bannu and Ghulam Khan Border Post will reduce from 6 hours to 1.5 hour.
With this road, 705 KMs long strategic central trade corridor to Afghanistan has been completed for all kind of move across the border up to Central Asia.
The COAS also inaugurated state of the art Younus Khan sports stadium with a packed crowd of viewers watching an inaugural match played between FATA Eleven and Younas Khan Eleven.
General Raheel expressed the hope that enormous talent of FATA youth will be honed with upcoming educational and sports facilities and with no dearth of talent, their aspirations to rise at the international level will be accomplished.
Earlier General Raheel Sharif and his begum also visited South Waziristan to see one of the newly opened Army Public School (APS) in Chagmalai and spent time with the children.
Speaking at the occasion, he commended the faculty and the students for exhibiting such excellent standards of education in these areas.
The army chief appreciated the locals for their keenness to send their children to schools. Only education can help elevate our future generations to growth and prosperity, COAS emphasised.
During the visit to Miranshah, Begum Raheel Sharif had a separate interaction with the huge gathering of local ladies. She appreciated their sacrifices and heard their issues related to resettlement.
Earlier on arrival, General Raheel Sharif was received by Corps Commander Peshawar Lieutenant General Hidayat Ur Rehman.
