Drone attacks have negative impact: COAS

Says army capable of taking effective measures on actionable intelligence

PESHAWAR: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday said that unilateral actions like drone strikes, etc, are counterproductive and against the spirit of ongoing cooperation and intelligence sharing being diligently undertaken by Pakistan.

The army chief was given a detailed briefing on the situation along the Pakistan-Afghan border, ongoing and future operations, progress on development works and return of temporary displaced persons (TDPs) during his visit to the Peshawar Corps. The COAS appreciated the improved security situation and measures for better border management, including fencing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

General Bajwa expressed satisfaction on operational readiness of the formations and asked them to stay vigilant against all types of threats. "We consider Afghanistan as a brotherly neighbour and terrorists are our common enemy. The threat thus requires a trust based coordinated response rather than blame game or unwarranted skirmishes," he said.

The COAS said the Pakistan Army was capable of taking effective measures if actionable intelligence was shared. "Our focus now is to transform our operational achievements in Fata into enduring peace and stability for which early mainstreaming of Fata  through reforms is essential and Pakistan Army fully supports all efforts towards that end," he said. 

General Bajwa said the country's brave tribal brothers, through their support, cooperation and resolve, have enabled its security forces to succeed during the operations and now it is time for them to live a fearless and quality social life as citizens of Pakistan. He said that Pakistan Army shall continue its efforts to consolidate gains achieved thus far and stated that the army stands with all other institutions to get Pakistan rid of menaces, retarding its progress and prosperity. Earlier, on arrival at the corps headquarters, the COAS was received by Commander Peshawar Corps Lieutenant General Nazir Ahmad Butt.