QUETTA: Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa assumed the charge of Commander Sou­thern Command at a ceremony held on Friday.

Outgoing commander Lt Gen Aamer Riaz, who will take over as Lahore Corps Commander, handed over the charge to Gen Bajwa by presenting him the command stick and flag.

The ceremony at the command headquarters was attended by Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, provincial minister Nawab Changez Khan Marri, Frontier Corps Inspector General Maj Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, Chief Secretary Aurangzeb Haq and General Officers Commanding of 41 and 33 garrisons, senior military and civil officers and others.

Speaking on the occasion, the outgoing commander offered an olive branch to disgruntled elements holed up in the mountains and said the government would welcome them as honourable citizens if they wished to join mainstream politics.

With joint efforts of military and civil leadership, security forces and support of civil society, peace was restored in Balochistan, he added. “Balochistan faced a lot of challenges and difficult situations, but with the blessing of God and joint efforts made by civil and military leadership and security forces, we succeeded in overcoming obstacles,” Gen Riaz said.

Referring to the recent blast at a shrine in Jhal Magsi, he said that the enemy was using all tactics to harm Pakistan.

On the occasion, he thanked the army, law enfo­rcement institutions, inte­lligence agencies, police, members of civil society, students, lawyers, media and other institutions for extending all help and cooperation to him in restoring peace in the province.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2017