General Raheel’s pledge: Terrorists will be chased everywhere

Army chief lauds courage, dedication of troops fighting militants.

PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD:

Pakistani security forces will chase and hunt down terrorists across the country, army chief General Raheel Sharif said on Monday during his visit to North Waziristan Agency where a massive military operation is under way.

In his first visit to the restive region since the start of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, Gen Raheel directed troops on the ground to eliminate “all local and foreign terrorists and their sanctuaries”.

According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement, Gen Raheel was given a detailed briefing on the ongoing operation by the general officer commanding. Corps Commander Peshawar Lt-Gen Khalid Rabbani and other senior officials accompanied the army chief.

Speaking to the troops fighting the militants, Gen Raheel lauded their ‘courage, dedication and high state of morale’ and voiced his satisfaction over progress achieved so far since the start of the operation. He commended the entire chain



of command for their determined efforts in planning, preparation, mobilisation and execution of the operation.

The army chief made it clear that terrorists would be chased and hunted down across the country until the menace of terrorism was eliminated.

There is a feeling within the security establishment that the Waziristan operation will only be successful once the entire terror infrastructure, which is said to be spread across the country, is destroyed.

Sources said that under an integrated plan, the security agencies will carry out a targeted operation against suspected militants in the settled areas of the country.

Southern districts of Punjab and the financial capital of Pakistan, Karachi, are on the watch-list of the security agencies where they suspect certain militant groups have strong presence.

According to the ISPR, the army chief acknowledged and appreciated the support of the entire nation and vowed that “God willing, with unflinching national resolve and clear direction, we will accomplish our mission and rid Pakistan of the scourge of terrorism”.

He paid rich tributes to the security personnel martyred and wounded in the fight against militancy.

Paying tribute to the tens of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) for their sacrifices to restore the writ of the state, Gen Raheel acknowledged the national spirit and support forthcoming for them from across the country.

He re-affirmed that the army would not abandon their tribal brethren in their hour of need and all possible assistance would be extended to the government and various organisations in order to provide them maximum relief. He also assured of the army’s role in rebuilding and restoring normalcy in North Waziristan.

IDP registration in Peshawar kicks off

Registration of IDPs in Peshawar – the second registration point set up by the government – kicked off on Monday.

However, the process, which started after a three-hour delay to begin with, was cut short due to indiscipline and lack of security, pushing the registration of Miramshah IDPs to the next day. They will now be registered today (Tuesday), along with families from Boya and Datta Khel.

The registration process will continue till July 14, following which the IDPs will be able to receive Rs5,000 in cash along with the house rent and Ramazan package announced by the government.

As many as 62,493 displaced families – comprising 787,888 individuals – have been registered so far at registration points run by the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), according to the daily situation report issued by the chief secretary control room.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2014.