Addressing officials and troops at Command & Staff College Quetta, the COAS emphasized Pakistan’s resolve and determination to confront global phenomenon of terrorism and extremism.
Dilating on the effects of Operation Zarb-e-Azb, he explained how the military had transited from hard core kinetic operations to intelligence-based operations and now the combing operations across the country.
The army chief, however, said we still need to do a lot more to achieve final objective of fully peaceful and prosperous Pakistan.
Earlier today, the COAS arrived in Quetta for a day-long visit to get briefing on security situation of the province.
Read more: Drone strikes in Pakistan are detrimental to Pak-US relations: Gen Sharif tells US envoy
On Wednesday, the army chief had a meeting with US ambassador David Hale in which he conveyed strong concerns over US drone strikes inside Pakistan’s territory.
The drone strike targeting Mullah Akhtar Mansour on Saturday was perhaps the most high-profile U.S. incursion into Pakistan since the 2011 raid to kill al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and sparked a protest by Islamabad that its sovereignty had been violated.
“While expressing his serious concerns over the said drone strike, COAS said such acts of sovereignty violations are detrimental to the bilateral relations and are counter-productive for ongoing peace process for regional stability,” reads the ISPR statement.
