Pak Army fully prepared to defeat any aggression: COAS

RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif has said that the Pakistan Army, in unison with other services, is fully prepared to deter and defeat any aggression across the entire spectrum of threat, says a press release.

The COAS, Gen Sharif, visited the Command and Staff College, Quetta, on Friday.While addressing the participants of the course, the COAS said that Pakistan Army had the unique accomplishment of having been employed on various fronts against two different types of threats i.e. conventional and sub conventional for the last over one decade and was respected for its achievements and sacrifices the world over.

The COAS exhorted the need for future leadership to remain abreast with the latest global and regional developments and focus on their professional grooming.While elaborating on his vision, the COAS emphasised that the army should carry its glorious legacy as a national army suffused with an enhanced degree of professional ethos, pride and esprit de corps.

It is an army which continues to be reflective of Pakistan’s aspirations manifesting the collective will and resilience of its proud citizens, a symbol of national unity and cohesion.Earlier, on arrival in Quetta, the COAS was received by Commander Southern Command, Lieutenant General Naseer Khan Janjua.

Strategy on TTP demands prepared

 

ISLAMABAD: The strategy pertaining to the demands made by the defunct Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been prepared as the civil and military leadership on Friday decided to go ahead with the peace process with the TTP, the sources said.
According to the sources, the decision was taken during the different meetings chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at the PM’s Office. The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Raheel Sharif, and Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafiq Butt had one-to-one meetings with the prime minister.

Nawaz Sharif also chaired a high-level meeting on the security issues before leaving for Lahore which was also attendedInterior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director-General Lt-Gen Zaheerul Islam and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatmi.

The meetings were held in the backdrop of serious developments taking place on and across the borders of the country. The two services chiefs had discussion about the security and professional matters.

Officially no word has been given by the Prime Minister Office about discussions and decisions taken place in the meeting but the sources told ‘The News’ that go ahead signal had been given to the schedule for the dialogue process with TTP first through the designated committees and later with the committee of the TTP Shura.

The maiden direct talks with the TTP Shura delegation took place last month in the absence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from the country and the second round would likely to be held in his absence as the prime minister would leave for China next week to attend the economic forum in Boao.

The focus of the meeting was peace talks but other matters related to internal and external security also cropped up in the course of discussion. The meeting was informed that the movement points on the international border with Afghanistan had been sealed in view of the Presidential polls in Afghanistan today (Saturday).

The announcement made by the TTP for extending the ceasefire for a period of another ten days also discussed in the meeting which was briefed about the TTP activities during the recent days as the militants were engaged in regrouping but their activities were being monitored by the agencies concerned.

The meeting also discussed the issue of release of detainees belonging to Tribal areas last week and it was made clear that no combatant prisoner would be released without complete understanding of all the stakeholders and it would be ensured that the released prisoners would not engage in terror activities.

The meeting was briefed about arrangements put in place for strict vigilance on the borders with Afghanistan to avert any untoward situation, the sources said.Meanwhile, sources didn’t give any hint about discussion in the meeting with regard to the matter related to former president General (R) Pervez Musharraf.

Special Assistant to PM on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatimi told this scribe that the high profile visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to China next week also came under discussion as the prime minister would have important meetings with Chinese leadership and the leaders of other countries attending the forum.