ISLAMABAD - Army Chief General Raheel Sharif Wednesday inaugurated multiple projects as part of a comprehensive post-operation rehabilitation plan for Fata, Wana Cadet Collage being on top of all else.
A ‘state-of-the-art’ college campus for 500 children from Waziristan and the rest of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) has been inaugurated, army’s media wing said.
“The (UAE-funded) college will be compatible with the best cadet colleges of Pakistan,” according to an Inter Services Public Relations statement. The initiative will go a great length in propelling the local youth into professional colleges and change lives of their families, it added.
The army chief later commissioned 132 KVA grid station and a 54km transmission line at Wana that fulfils the long standing demand of the people of tribal areas of modern power infrastructure.
Speaking to a large gathering on the occasion, General Raheel said these development projects would improve quality of life of common people, create job opportunities and usher this area into economic prosperity, which is “our main objective”.
The COAS also visited DI Khan and inaugurated USAID funded 62km DIK-Hathala-Tank dual carriage Road as part of the 705km Central Trade Corridor linking this region with Afghanistan. The newly constructed road by FWO will reduce travelling time between two cities from four hours to 40 minutes.
The army chief assured the locals that entire rehabilitation plan will be fully executed and the IDPs will return as per plan to a better and infra-structurally much developed region. The tribal elders thanked COAS for fulfilling promises made to them.
General Raheel Sharif said that operation Zarb-e-Azb is in its final stage in the fewer left out pockets. Pakistan Army with support of the entire nation has successfully evicted terrorists from the area. He appreciated the support of the tribal brethren in combating terrorism and acknowledged their sacrifices in the war against terrorism.
He assured them that having paid the price for operational successes, terrorists would never be allowed to return and the army will not go back till job is fully done. He urged tribals to continue supporting security and rehabilitating operations to achieve end objective of enduring peace and prosperity in these areas.
Zarb-e-Azb is a joint military offensive being conducted by the Pakistan Armed Forces against various local and foreign militant groups.
The operation was launched on June 15, 2014 in North Waziristan along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as a renewed effort against militancy in the wake of the June 8 attack on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, for which the the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the , the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) claimed responsibility.
Part of the ongoing war in North-West Pakistan, up to 30,000 Pakistani soldiers are involved in Zarb-e-Azb, described as a “comprehensive operation” to flush out all foreign and local militants hiding in North Waziristan.
The operation has received widespread support from the Pakistani political, defence and civilian sectors. As a consequence, overall security situation has improved and terrorist attacks in Pakistan have dropped to a six-year low since 2008.