ISLAMABAD - Top military brass Wednesday gathered to review the internal and external security situation of the country and expressed their complete satisfactions on the progress of the Operation Zarb-e-Azb as well as on the overall preparations of armed forces and their professional excellence.
In a Corps Commander Conference, held at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, they also showed their satisfaction over the finalisation of Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) between Kabul and Washington and declared it a better move for peace in Afghanistan and the region as a whole.
According to the statement released by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the 175th Corps Commanders’ Conference was presided over by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif. Matters of professional interest were discussed during the meeting. A briefing was given to the participants on internal and external security situation of the country.
Reviewing Operation Zarb-e-Azb, General Raheel Sharif expressed his complete satisfaction on the progress of the operation, and lauded the successes made so far. The forum paid rich tributes to all participating officers and men and sacrifices made by the valiant troops. According to the sources, the top military brass praised the command of Peshawar Corps Commander Lt-Gen Khalid Rabbani as the operational commander of NWA operation, who is going to retire within days.
Sources said the conference showed reservations on the Indian troop activities at the eastern border. Director General Military Operations gave a briefing over the security situation and measures taken by Pakistani forces.
Four lieutenant generals – Peshawar Corps Commander Lt-Gen Khalid Rabbani, Mangla Corps Commander Lt-Gen Tariq, Gujranwala Corps Commander Lt-Gen Saleem Nawaz and Karachi Corps Commander Lt-Gen Sajjad Ghanni – attended the last Corps Commander Conference of their career as they are going to retire this month.
Next month Lt-Gen Hidayat ur Rehman will attend this conference as Peshawar Corps Commander, Lt-Gen Mian Muhammad Hilal Hussain as Mangla Corps Commander, Lt-Gen Ghayur Mahmood as Gujranwala Corps Commander and Lt-Gen Naveed Mukhtar as Karachi Corps Commander.
It is likely that Inter Services Intelligence DG Lt-Gen Zaheer ul Islam will also attend the next Corps Commander Conference as his last conference as DG ISI because he is going to retire on November 7; however, if the next moot of commanders took place in second week of Nov then Lt-Gen Rizwan Akhtar will attend it as new ISI DG. He will assume the charge of his new assignment on Nov 8. With this shift in top military brass, Gen Raheel Sharif will become more powerful COAS as it is he who has picked up the new members of this elite military forum.
India resorts to
unprovoked firing on LoC
APP adds: Indian troops resorted to unprovoked firing on Line of Control (LoC) in Bagh Sector in Bedori areas on Wednesday evening.
According to ISPR, Pakistani troops effectively responded to Indian firing. Exchange of fire continued till the last reports came in. No loss of life was, however, reported.