- Prime Minister Nawaz says sacrifices of Pakistan Army personnel will bear fruit and terrorism will be completely eliminated
- General Raheel vows to eliminate terrorists from every nook and corner of the country
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Sunday that the sacrifices of Pakistan Army soldiers in the war against terrorism will not go in vain, as Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif vowed to eliminate terrorists from every nook and corner of the country.
A statement issued from the PM House quoted the premier as saying: “They will be in our hearts and our prayers, and we will make sure that their sacrifices do not go in vain.”
The statement comes in wake of an armed clash in Shawal Valley of North Waziristan Agency on Saturday between troops of the Pakistan Army and terrorists, in which 19 militants were killed while four military men, including an officer, also died in the skirmish.
The prime minister offered his condolences to the bereaved families of the four martyred military personnel.
“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sends his condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the struggle against terrorism in Shawal,” the statement read.
Prime Minister Nawaz lauded the courage and bravery of the valiant soldiers who had laid down their lives while defending their homeland. “These men showed bravery and courage till their very last breath… they put the nation and its future ahead of their own,” he said.
“They are a shining example of what this country needs in this hour,” the prime minister said.
However, the prime minister emphasised that there is little room for complacency as the nation is passing through a critical stage. “This is a battle of good vs evil and what defines us as a people, those who lost their lives today in this never-ending struggle are worthy of being called pride of our nation,” Nawaz said.
TERRORISTS WILL BE ELIMINATED:
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Sunday said the army would go to any length to finish terrorists from any nook and corner of the country.
“Determined to finish all terrorists from their pockets in every nook and corner of country,” DG ISPR Lt-Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa on Sunday said in one of his Twitter messages while quoting the army chief.
The COAS visited the Corps Headquarters where he was briefed by Corps Commander Lt Gen Hidayat Ur Rehman about the latest progress of operation in Shawal.
General Raheel also attended the funeral of Pakistan Army officer Captain Umair, who died on Saturday in a clash with terrorists in Shawal.
“They got martyred but did not allow terrorists to escape from the valley,” the army chief said while lauding the courage of the soldiers.
On Saturday, as the final push in the densely forested strategic Valley picked up pace, intense exchange of fire took place after army’s ground forces surrounded a group of fleeing terrorists in the Mangroti area near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Shawal, the military’s media wing, the ISPR, had said in a brief statement.
Most parts of North Waziristan have been cleansed of terrorists and tens of thousands of tribesmen displaced by fighting have started returning to their homes in the area cleared by the military.
Gen Raheel Sharif expressed his complete satisfaction over the final push in North Waziristan to evict terrorists from the valley close to Pak-Afghan border.
The army chief also visited those injured during the ongoing phase of the operation at Combined Military Hospital (CMH).
During the visit, the army chief also enquired about the well-being of the Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier being treated at CMH.
ANA soldier Alam Zeb was evacuated from Bajaur on February 25 in injured condition (head injury) by the Pakistan Army and was admitted to CMH Peshawar, the ISPR director general tweeted.
The Afghan soldier had sustained injuries in Afghanistan due to firing by the terrorists and was evacuated to a Pakistani post and later to Peshawar.
Over 3,500 militants have been killed in Operation Zarb-e-Azb, while the offensive has forced over a million civilians to leave their homes and move to other areas of the country.