QUETTA: Chief of the Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has said the people of Balochistan have rejected what he called foreign-sponsored terrorists and helped the state bust their network.

The army chief arrived in Quetta on Tuesday as part of his farewell visits and met the officers and soldiers of the Southern Command and Frontier Corps, Balochistan.

Paying tribute to the officers and soldiers, Gen Sharif said the tide in Balochistan had been turned against terrorists and their sympathisers and now a large number of fraris (fugitives) were surrendering.

“We will continue to work with the provincial and federal governments for greater security and stability,” he said, adding that as army chief his priority had been to provide security and assistance to the civilian government in institution building and development work in remote areas that brought him to Balochistan almost every month.

Gen Raheel praised the Southern Command for managing the arduous task of construction of over 1,000km-long road network in the rugged and hostile terrain by the Frontier Works Organisation and National Logistics Cell which helped operationalise the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor within the stipulated time frame.

He said the Gwadar port and the CPEC would usher in a new era of hope and prosperity for the area with dividends reaching the common man. He also appreciated the Southern Command for reintegrating the youth by inducting a large number of them into the FC and army, rehabilitating the earthquake-hit Awaran district and training 6,000 policemen and Levies personnel.

The army chief expressed satisfaction over the improvement in management of the long, treacherous border with Afghanistan and Iran which, he said, had helped improve the overall security situation in Balochistan.

Earlier upon arrival, Gen Raheel was received by Commander of Southern Command Lt Gen Aamir Riaz and Balochistan FC Inspector General Maj Gen Sher Afgun.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2016