Visit to North Waziristan: Fencing of Pak-Afghan border reduced terrorism, says Shahbaz

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif visited the Miranshah area of North Waziristan to show solidarity with the army personnel on Tuesday, where he said fencing of the Pak-Afghan border had helped to reduce incidents of terrorism.

Shahbaz said the Punjab government had extended support for border fencing in the past and would do the same in the future too. He added that the provincial government had provided Rs 1 billion for erecting the fence at the Pak-Afghan border as it was a matter of survival of Pakistan and they were ready to give any sacrifice for Pakistan.

He visited the Pak-Afghan border area as well as the 7th Division Headquarters where he was briefed by GOC Maj Gen Azhar Abbasi. He laid a floral wreath at the monument of the martyrs and offered fateha for the departed souls.

The chief minister paid rich tributes to the great sacrifices of martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for the beloved motherland. He also went to the Katoon area falling at the fringe of Pak-Afghan border where he was briefed on management of the international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan and its fencing.

During the visit, the chief minister also went to the Younis Khan Sports Complex. He said he had come to Miranshah and the border area to show solidarity with the brave officers and Jawans of Pak Army.

“The history of most daring examples of success in the war against terrorism had been written with the blood of our brave sons,” he added. He said there was no other example of such great sacrifices in the history of the nations and the historic efforts put forth by the Pakistan Army would never be forgotten by the nation.

“In fact, the role of Pak Army would be written with golden words for overcoming the menace of terrorism from the beloved motherland. The brave officers and Jawans had written stories of success with their precious blood,” he added.

The whole nation was standing shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces of Pakistan, he said, adding that the war against terrorism was a struggle of national survival and "we have to win it at every cost”.

He said the success of Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad after Zarb-e-Azb was the triumph of the whole nation and asserted that he saluted the officers and jawans over their bravery and courage.

“In fact, such a war had never been fought in the history of the nations and the unforgettable role played by the armed forces would never be forgotten by the Pakistani nation,” the chief minister added.

Senator Mushahid Hussain, PML-N Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Ameer Muqam and Punjab government spokesperson Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan also accompanied the chief minister.

Shahbaz spent three hours with Pak Army officers and jawans at the Miranshah area near the Pak-Afghan border. The chief minister, on his arrival at the 7th Division Headquarters, was welcomed by Maj Gen Abbasi who briefed him about the successes of Pak Army in the war against terrorism.

He said more than 4,500 officers and jawans of 11th Corps had sacrificed their lives in the war against terrorism whereas more than 16,000 had been injured. He disclosed that 521 major operations had been conducted against the terrorists and their facilitators and as a result of these strenuous efforts, terrorists had been totally flushed out from North Waziristan.

Shahbaz said the purpose of his visit was to express solidarity with the brave sons of the soil. At the Younis Khan Sports Complex, he was shown a sample compound where terrorists used to store their firearms, besides confining the kidnapped persons.

The chief minister was also shown foreign currency, a room where suicide jackets were prepared and the underground jail. He was told that such compounds were also situated in other areas and these had been destroyed.