Terrorists will fail to derail stability: COAS

Army chief visits Parachinar blast victims

RAWALPINDI/PARACHINAR: Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that terrorists will fail to derail the stability achieved by the security forces with the help of tribesmen in the tribal regions.

The army chief on Sunday travelled to Parachinar, the main city of Kurram Agency, where a day earlier 25 people were killed and dozens injured in bomb explosion at a crowded vegetable market.



According to the military’s media wing, the ISPR, Gen Qamar was given a detailed briefing on Saturday’s bombing. He met local tribal elders and visited the agency headquarters hospital to enquire after the health of the survivors.

Expressing grief over the loss of lives in the deadly blast, Gen Qamar lauded the support of tribal brethren in combating terrorism and acknowledged their sacrifices for peace. “With their support, the army, Frontier Corps and other law enforcement agencies have done a great job in stabilising the area and terrorists will fail to derail it,” he said.

The army chief also appreciated the efforts of tribesmen in maintaining tribal and sectarian harmony which, according to him, is a source of national integration. “Pakistan belongs to all of us without any religious, provincial, tribal, linguistic, ethnic, sectarian or any other discrimination,” he added.

On the demand of the local tribal elders, Gen Qamar announced the establishment of an army public school in Parachinar for quality education. The elders thanked the army chief and pledged to continue supporting efforts for enduring peace and stability.

Later, the army chief flew to Peshawar where he met with those critically injured in the Parachinar blast and evacuated by army helicopters and vehicles to the Combined Military Hospital.

Meanwhile, the administration in Parachinar claimed that the security forces have made 25 arrests in connection with Saturday’s blast.



“Seven suspects were detained in an intelligence-driven combing operation in a locality of Parachinar. Weapons were also recovered from them,” the top administrator of the region confirmed to The Express Tribune.

Security was on high alert as law enforcers patrolled the entire agency on Sunday. Fateha was held for the victims, but the turnout of mourners was low due to extraordinary security.

The medical superintendent of the agency, Dr Sabir Hussain, on Sunday referred another 25 critically injured survivors to the CMH Peshawar. “On the orders of the Fata Health Department we have shifted 25 injured to Peshawar,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2017.