Army airs concerns over TTP safe havens in Afghanistan

RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir has said the armed forces of Pakistan have serious concerns over the safe havens and liberty of action available to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan.

He visited the Quetta Garrison on Friday where he was briefed on the recent terrorist attack in Zhob in which nine soldiers of the Pakistan Army were martyred. The security forces also killed five heavily-armed terrorists.

The army chief paid rich tributes to Shuhada, visited the injured soldiers at CMH, Quetta, appreciated their services to the nation and lauded their resolve.

General Asim Munir conveyed his expectation that the interim Afghan government would not allow the use of its soil to perpetrate terrorism against any country in a real sense and in line with the commitments made in the Doha Agreement.

He said the involvement of Afghan nationals in acts of terrorism in Pakistan was another important concern that needed to be addressed. “Such attacks are intolerable and will elicit an effective response from the security forces of Pakistan,” the army chief warned.

He said that operations against terrorists would continue unabated and the armed forces would not rest till the menace of terrorism was rooted out from the country.

Earlier on arrival, the COAS was received by Commander Quetta Corps.

Meanwhile, the funeral prayers of the Shuhada, who embraced shahadat while valiantly thwarting a full-scale terrorist attack on Zhob Garrison and during an intense exchange of fire with hardcore terrorists in Sui, were offered at their native towns on Friday with full military honours.

Their burial was attended by serving and retired officers and soldiers, relatives and a large number of people from different segments of society.

The ISPR in a statement said the armed forces of Pakistan stand resolute and committed to eliminating the menace of terrorism from the motherland at all costs.

Later, COAS General Asim Munir left for Iran on a two-day official visit, the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement. He will meet Iranian military and civilian leadership during his visit and discuss bilateral matters related to defence and security cooperation.