Imran calls Army action in tribal areas as American War while Army Chief lauded soldiers for their sacrifices to save the country I tribal areas
Islamabad: Chief of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf Imran Khan again creates some confusion through his press conference on Tuesday about on-going Army action in tribal areas of Pakistan and called Army action as “American War”. While the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Tuesday visited field formations deployed in South Waziristan and paid rich tributes to soldiers for their sacrifices in bringing peace and normalcy to the troubled regions.
He was of the view that nation has rejected the misplaced ideology of the terrorists. Same time one of the leading politicians of Pakistan who is known for his close contacts and connection with Pakistan Army Imran Khan was holding press conference in capital city of Islamabad demanding talks with terrorists and calling war against terrorists as war of America. Imran Khan observed that the country witnessed a visible decline in the acts of terrorism after the process of peace dialogue with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Imran Khan does not call TTP as terrorist organisation while Pakistan Army, civil society and a common Pakistan believe that TTP is a terrorist organisation that is killing people all over the country. Imran Khan appealed the Army Chief to “save the country, save the army and the dialogue process be revived”.
Imran Khan believed that Army action in North Waziristan can disintegrate Pakistan like 1971 war that caused separation of the than East Pakistan from West Pakistan and emerged as Bangladesh on the map of the world. He reiterated his stance that Pakistan is fighting America’s war in North Waziristan ‘whose inhabitants are becoming hostile towards Pakistan’ and the IDPs instead of coming to Pakistan are moving to Afghanistan. Imran Khan claimed that Pak-Afghan border is not under the control of any official authority of Pakistan rather tribal people who can roam about easily to and from Afghanistan.
This is the core issue that disturb Pakistan Army and Pakistan Army is sacrificing its soldiers to clamp the writ of Pakistan in these “Free for All” areas but politicians like Imran Khan always discourages Pakistan Army that has already given blood of more than 7,000 soldiers to protect the borders of Pakistan while fighting with TTP in North and South Waziristan. Pakistan Army is working for development projects in tribal areas and COAS also visited recently established Cadet College Spinkai Raghzai in South Wazirista and lauded the college administration for the standard of education and administration being maintained. Talking to cadets, he said that these education projects completed by the army would go a long way to groom a new generation of young Pakistanis from such remote areas and integrate them in the national mainstream.
The COAS reviewed the progress of mega and micro projects of socio economic significance being undertaken by the army and appreciated them for quality of work and timely completion.
The army chief particularly mentioned the construction of Central Trade Corridor, a 714-kilometre road network, linking Pakistan’s Indus Highway and Waziristan agencies with the Afghan Ring Road, which is already beginning to bring great economic dividend to the local residents of the region.
The COAS also visited other community development schemes in health, education, water and power projects, as part of successful programs for rehabilitation of the people.
