Condemnation is small word for drone attacks: COAS

Says issue to be raised at every appropriate forum; Operation Zarb-e-Azb to be completed this year; 99 percent terrorists eliminated; no one will be allowed to sabotage CPEC

ISLAMABAD: Conveying serious concerns over the US drone attack in Balochistan, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Wednesday stated that condemnation is a very small word for drone attacks as these strikes violate the country’s sovereignty and the issue will be raised at every appropriate forum.

“Drone attacks inside Pakistan’s territory are condemnable and against the country’s sovereignty,” General Raheel said while talking informally to media persons in the Parliament House following the address of the president. The COAS gave a clear-cut message that drone attacks were not tolerable and the same would also affect relations between the two countries. “Condemnation is rather a smaller word on drone attacks,” he said.

The army chief also maintained that 2016 was the year of success against the menace of terrorism. “I have already made a commitment that Operation Zarb-e-Azb will be completed during this year,” he said, adding that no one believed him when he said the war against terrorism would meet success this year.

During his presence in the lobby, the army chief briefly talked to parliamentarians and praised the spirit of the nation to fight terrorism. He also met the JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the lobby. He also met with other politician including Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani, Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi and other parliamentarians.

The army chief told media persons that there was no option of failure in the war against terrorism saying that the Operation Zarb-e-Azb was moving forward with great success. He pointed out that 99 percent terrorists had been eliminated while the remaining one percent would also be taken to task. “There is also a need for focusing resources on the elimination of terrorism,” he said.

General Raheel said the Pakistan Army’s efforts against terrorism were lauded during his recent visit to Turkey where he witnessed multinational military exercises. He said that terrorism would not be allowed to return to areas that had been cleared by the armed forces. “We have assured the people of tribal areas that terrorists will not return to their areas now,”of development in North and South Waziristan was going ahead swiftly.

The army chief said that so far 56 percent internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned to their houses. He said on every morning he sees the file of IDPs on his office table. General Raheel said the system of governance needs to be established in Fata. He added that long-term peace and rehabilitation of IDPs is the highest priority. 

To a question, General Raheel Sharif said the chief of the air staff was making efforts to secure F-16 aircraft. He maintained that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would be completed at every cost. He said no one would be allowed to sabotage the mega project.