Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: As part of his farewell, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif visited FATA on Thursday.

At Wana, he addressed the officers and soldiers from army and Frontier Corps. He commended them for successfully unhinging terrorists from their sanctuaries in FATA and destroying their infrastructure.

“With support of the nation, we have completed the cycle of counter terrorism operations in a unique and comprehensive way. Our stabilisation operations and resettlement phase are helping us consolidate our gains,” the army chief added.

Later COAS visited Khyber Agency and held a jirga in Bara. He thanked the tribals for rendering full support to army in cleansing their areas of terrorists, and praised them for their audacity and steadfastness.

He said, “We have fought this menace of terrorism together over the years and it has woven us eternally in an unbreakable bond.”

The COAS also laid the foundation stone of Shahid Afridi Cricket Stadium at Bara, to be built by Army Engineers. The stadium has been named after renowned cricketer to honour him for his services for Pakistan and is being built as part of sports infrastructure to explore talent and harness youth from FATA.

Tribal elders paid their gratitude to Gen Raheel Sharif for army’s extraordinary efforts in ensuring dignified return and quality reconstruction in FATA. On arrival at Wana, Let Gen HidayaturRehman received COAS and accompanied him through his tour in FATA.