Army chief to visit Waziristan today

ISPR says significant development projects will be inaugurated during the visit

Army chief General Raheel Sharif will visit North and South Waziristan on Tuesday to overlook ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb and inaugurate development projects.

"COAS will spend his day in South and North Waziristan today on the invitation of local tribes. Significant development projects are being inaugurated," DG Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lt-Gen Asim Bajwa said on Twitter.

Op ZarbeAzb:#COAS will spend his day in South&North Waziristan today on invitation of local tribes.Significant dev projs being inaugurated

— Gen(R) Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) November 15, 2016

On Monday, Army chief directed the soldiers deputed on the Line of Control (LoC) to continue to ‘effectively’ respond to India’s unprovoked firing across the border.



According to the military’s media wing, Gen Raheel during a briefing in Jhelum said the army will leave no stone “unturned to defend the motherland”.

On September 1, Lt Gen Bajwa said people could not imagine going to North Waziristan as it had become the epicentre of terrorism, however, the Pakistan Army managed to clear out the area completely after which forces moved to Khyber Agency where the terrorists had then settled.



He further claimed that Shawal is now like Switzerland. “Residents in the area are gradually returning, but they want the army to stay and by providing stability and security, help locals revive the economy. Shawal is known for its pine nuts, which the terrorists were selling to fund themselves.”

The military has been engaged in an operation since June 2014 to purge the country of terrorist elements and rebuilt the areas affected by militancy.