Our life and blood is for Pakistan: Gen Bajwa

ISLAMABAD: Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday said nothing was nobler than laying one’s life in the defence of the motherland.

He said this while paying tribute to Lieutenant Khawar Shaheed and Naik Shahzad Shaheed, who embraced martyrdom in the Janikhel area of Bannu on Thursday. Gen Bajwa said: “We salute our martyrs and our life and blood is for Pakistan.”

Meanwhile, the funeral prayers of martyred soldiers were offered in Peshawar on Friday. Corps Commander Lieutenant General Nazir Ahmed Butt, Commander Army Air Defence Command Lieutenant General Zahid Latif and other senior serving civil and military officers and soldiers attended the funeral prayers.

The bodies of martyrs were taken to their native areas where they will be buried with full military honour. Meanwhile, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah on Friday called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters (GHQ).

Matters of professional interest, including cooperation between the two services in ongoing operation Radd-ul-Fasaad and overall military operations were discussed, the Inter Services Public Relations said.

The COAS also congratulated the naval chief on successful conduct of recently concluded Naval Exercise AMAN-2017. Meanwhile, six terrorists were killed in a clash with security forces in Shah Kas area of Khyber Agency on Friday. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the spot. 

The security forces then launched a search operation in the area. Two facilitators of terrorists and 29 Afghan nationals were arrested. The Afghans were illegally staying in the area. Two hundred and twenty-six suspects were also arrested during search operations in different parts of the country on Friday.

According to reports, 180 suspects were apprehended in Bannu and 27 in Peshawar. Police also arrested eight Afghan nationals living without valid documents in Pishin Qallah Abdullah and Chaghi districts of Balochistan. In Karachi, 11 people, including two Afghan nationals, were arrested. Arms and ammunition were also seized on their person.