Army chief, CM K-P lay foundation stone of Swat cantonment

President Mamnoon Hussain approved in Sept 2015 the plan to establish a cantonment in the valley

Army chief General Raheel Sharif and government representatives laid on Friday the foundation stone of Swat cantonment.

"Army chief, the [federal] government and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pervez Khattak] have laid the foundation stone [of Swat cantonment]," Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

Const of Swat Cantt kicks off.#COAS,Govn&CM KPK lay foundation stone.Long term security dream getting fulfilled.People of Swat jubilant-1 pic.twitter.com/9BnWoO0Pz4

— Gen(R) Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimBajwaISPR) November 11, 2016

President Mamnoon Hussain approved in September 2015 the plan to establish a cantonment in the valley, which was ‘cleared’ of extremists and terrorists in 2009.

Speaking on the occasion, the army chief expressed gratitude to the people of Swat for their struggle against terror and standing alongside the security forces to purge the valley of terrorists.

PHOTO: ISPR

General Raheel reaffirmed army's commitment to continue playing a solid role in bringing enduring peace and security in Swat. He hoped that the establishment of cantonment in Swat will act as a deterrent for terrorists, boost the confidence of law enforcement agencies and help bring permanent sense of security with readily available force to counter any threat to peace.



The COAS stressed that the development of Fata and Malakand is a priority, being executed as a well-considered strategy. Pakistan Army, he highlighted, has undertaken over 700 mega and minor projects in the social sector in the areas where military operations were carried out. These projects are aimed to improve the quality of life and address the problem of militancy on long term basis, he maintained.

Gen Raheel also visited the recently completed Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zaid Model Hospital, Swat and appreciated the UAE for their contribution to socioeconomic development in the area.  UAE’s Ambassador Essa Abdulla Albasha al Noaimi and Director UPAP were also present on the occasion.