Nawaz makes landmark war zone visit

First PM to visit N Waziristan says war against terror is a ‘battle of survival’.

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday visited the troubled North Waziristan Agency (NWA) to get firsthand account of the ongoing military offensive against militants in a move likely to shore up his political standing in the face of ongoing anti-government protests.

Nawaz considered a hotbed of several local and foreign militant outfits -- after the US-led war on terror began in 2001. During his unprecedented trip, the PM was received by army chief General Raheel Sharif in Miranshah, the main administrative town of the agency.

Nawaz was also accompanied by Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa (K-P) Governor Mehtab Ahmed Khan, Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Federal Minister for State and Frontier Regions Lt General (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch.

In the past, the civilian leadership was criticised for showing lack of will to travel to the frontline of Pakistan’s battle against extremism.



Nawaz’s visit has come at a time when his 16-month rule is facing the toughest challenge yet due to the ongoing protests by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and their continued sit-ins in the federal capital.

However, his move to visit troops on the ground in North Waziristan is likely to strengthen his position and may help ease reported friction with the military leadership.

On a daylong trip, the prime minister was given a detailed briefing by the General Officer Commanding Major General Zafarullah Khan about the ongoing operation, codenamed ‘Zarb-e-Azb’.

Nawaz was informed that 80% of the area of the NWA had been cleared of terrorists. Over 1,000 militants were so far killed while close to 100 security officials had lost their lives, he was told.

The premier was informed that Mirali, Degan, Boya and Datakhel areas had been completely cleared. The command and control centre of the terrorists had been destroyed and a huge quantity of arms and ammunition recovered.

Prime Minister Nawaz also visited Miranshah Bazar. He inspected the central hideout of terrorists which was housing their command and control system. He was also shown weapons recovered from the hideouts.

Speaking to officers and Jawans, Nawaz described the ongoing fight against terrorism as a ‘battle of survival’ for Pakistan. He said Pakistan would become a peaceful country as a result of the ongoing operation against terrorists.

Paying rich tributes to the army for successfully fighting a difficult war to secure Pakistan’s future and make the country safe and peaceful, Nawaz insisted that the country was winning the battle.

He also gave credit to the army chief for ‘successfully’ leading his troops in this difficult time. The PM announced that areas cleared of terrorists would be rebuilt on modern lines.

Later, addressing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Bakkakhel, he said a comprehensive programme would be devised to rebuild infrastructure, houses and other facilities in the affected areas.

“The government will make available necessary resources for reconstruction work in terrorism affected areas,” he said, adding that youth of the area would be imparted necessary skills to earn their own livelihood.

The PM also paid rich tributes to the IDPs and said they had left their homes for the sake of peace and in interest of the country.

Directive to federal agencies

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has directed all the federal agencies to implement Citizen Feedback Monitoring Programme (CFMP) – to improve service delivery, fight petty corruption, enhance citizen trust and communicate state responsiveness.

An innovative programme, the CFWP was first implemented in the province of Punjab and is based on proactive approach, aimed at creating a response based nexus with the identified beneficiaries of various services, an official statement said.

The Cabinet Division has been asked to oversee its implementation across the federal agencies and to regularly brief the Prime Minister’s Office on progress.


Correction: An earlier version of this story erroneously stated that Nawaz Sharif is the first elected prime minister to have visited North Waziristan. The error is regretted. 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2014.