Fresh resolve: Nation to be rid of terror, says Gen Raheel

Says operation against militants must continue without fear

ISLAMABAD:

Reiterating his resolve to rid the country of terrorism, the Pakistan Army chief said on Wednesday that the ongoing operation against militants must continue without fear.

“While we train to fight terrorists, a coordinated intelligence mechanism is a must to pre-empt incidents,” said Gen Raheel Sharif during a visit to the newly established National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) in Pabbi. “Coordination among the masses in pointing out suspects is critical.”

The NCTC is a state-of-the-art facility with a large capacity to impart quality training to troops for combating terrorism in all kinds of terrains.

A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the NCTC Pabbi would not only play an important role in training Pakistani troops, it would also try to entertain the increasing number of requests from friendly armies.

ISPR Director General Maj-Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa said in his tweets that the first batch of 500 security personnel had completed counterterrorism training at the NCTC.

Trained by the army, the first batch comprises a 200-strong elite police force from all the provinces and 200 from the Frontier Constabulary, the Pakistan Rangers, the Strategic Plans Division and the Anti-Narcotics Force. The rest of them are from the Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Navy.

Senior officials from the military police and the home secretaries of all the provinces attended the passing-out ceremony.

Addressing the gathering, the army chief expressed satisfaction over the training and said such efforts would help rid the country of terrorism.

“The army is doing its best to train all the law enforcement agencies and build their capacity to chase terrorists out of their hideouts, whether urban or in remote lands.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2015.