Army chief announces safe city project for Parachinar
- By Web Desk -
- Jun 30, 2017
PARACHINAR: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has announced safe city project for the northwest town of Parachinar, ARY News reported.
Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, the Inter Services Public Relations’ (ISPR) DG, said the army chief has issued directives for ramping up the security of the locals in line with their demands and announced deployment of more security personnel in the town.
General Bajwa arrived in Parachinar on Friday morning to meet the victims of the Parachinar twin blasts that left around 70 dead and dozens wounded.
According to the DG ISPR, the army chief met the families of the victims of terrorist attack and tribal elders and heard their grievances. He was also briefed on overall security situation of the tribal agency and Parachinar in particular.
While speaking to journalists, Ghafoor quoted the army chief as saying, “together we can defeat terrorism and militancy irrespective of sects.” He said barbed wire is being laid along Pak-Afghan border and in the first phase sensitive areas along the border will be covered, while in the second phase the remaining border will be fenced with barbed wire.
The ISPR chief said the protesters’ demands were related to the security and political concerns of the town.
Tribal elders reiterated their resolve of standing firm by the Pakistan army. They said they were Muslims and Pakistanis and were well aware of the security challenges facing by the country.
“We value the sacrifices rendered by the army soldiers for the safety and sovereignty of the country,” they added.
Parachinar has suffered the third attack this year. In January, this year, 25 people were killed and 87 others suffered injuries when a bomb went off during peak business hours at a crowded vegetable market in the city in the tribal region. In another bomb attack on March 31 this year, 23 people were killed in car bomb blast near an Imambargah at midday. More than 70 others were wounded in the attack.
The people of the terrorism-hit city have been protesting against surge in terrorist activities in the area calling for a tightened security to ensure safety of the citizens.