Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Asim Munir on Tuesday visited the Pak-Afghan border, stressing that the defense of the motherland will be ensured at “all costs.”
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Army chief visited the Tirah Valley of Khyber District and spent the day with forward troops deployed along border with Afghanistan. During his visit, it said, he was briefed by the field commander on the existing operational preparedness and border control measures of the Western Borders Management Regime.
Praising the deployed officers and men for their high morale and operational readiness in the line of duty, Gen. Munir said the state’s writ had been established due to innumerable sacrifices by tribal people and security forces. “Our fight against terrorism will continue with the support of the nation till we achieve enduring peace and stability,” he was quoted as stressing by the military’s media wing.
He also emphasized that there would be no space for anyone playing the role of spoiler to peace. “No one will be allowed to disrupt the hard earned gains of war against terror made thus far,” he added.
According to the ISPR, the COAS also visited Corps Headquarters Peshawar and laid a floral wreath at the martyrs’ monument. During his visit, he was briefed about operational, training and other matters of the formation, including efforts to create a secure environment for socio-economic development projects to uplift the newly merged districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Pakistan has seen a surge of terrorism in recent months, with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan last month announcing an end to a ceasefire that had been inked with the government last year. Since that announcement, the militant group has claimed several attacks targeting security forces, prompting lawmakers to demand a rethink of the state’s strategy to tackle the threat posed by them.