General Asfhaq Kayani says in the second phase, the army will recruit civilians and train them for the force. PHOTO: FILE
Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani assured the federal government on Thursday of all possible support in countering terrorism, and revealed that work on raising a Rapid Deployment Force (RDF) for immediate response to terrorist activities in the country has begun, reported Express News.
The general was in a meeting on Thursday with Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar in Lahore.
Kayani revealed that deployment for the force will occur in two stages:
In the first phase, around 250-300 soldiers will be recruited into the force while in the second phase, the army will recruit civilians and train them for the force.
Chaudhry Nisar had mentioned the plan for a RDF last month as part of the government's national counter-terrorism and extremism policy.
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Correction, Pakistan will need to form MANY "Rapid Deployment Force" units in order for them to be spread around the country! Otherwise it will be a VERY long helicopter ride (if available) at night/bad weather to reach the battle site since the terrorists will pick the time and place for any attack (or multiple attacks as that spreads available Pakistani forces even thinner)!!! Out of curiosity, WHY would "civilians" for civilian units be needed at all (other than for local force integration and communications)? With the sixth largest army in the world, I would think that there are more than enough Pakistani special forces types available to staff the 5,000 plus size these units will eventually require!!!