PESHAWAR - Corps Commander Lt Gen Khalid Rabbani Tuesday said around 3300 Pakistan Army personnel have embraced martyrdom in the ongoing war against terrorism and more than 10,000 received severe injuries in different military operations.
“We and the whole nation feel proud of our martyrs, who embraced martyrdom by sacrificing their lives for peace on the homeland in a war where there is only one option for us “as Pakistanis” and that is to win it,” Corps Commander Peshawar said while addressing one day seminar titled ‘War on Terror and Role of Pak Army’ here at Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Conference Hall, University of Peshawar. The seminar was organised by Department of Political Science.
The corps commander said that Pakistan Army has conducted more than 300 major and 760 minor operations in militancy-hit areas in the last few years, most of them in the year 2009-10. He added that peace has been restored in entire north of Pakistan and road accesses to majority of Fata have been established.
From the year 2008 to 2012, writ of government has been established in 91 per cent of Fata while eight per cent remain in contested control. Army is working on the sustainable development plan in order to improve the livelihood condition of ordinary people in Fata, he added.
The Commander mentioned 52 ongoing educational projects under Pak Army especially the establishment of Cadet College in South Waziristan Agency, Khyber Institute of Technical Education and Waziristan Institute of Technical education as a major development in improving skill and quality education among people of Fata.
Gen Rabbani categorically stated that no army in the world can win war without the support of its countrymen.
He described political ownership of military operation and operation within tribal system as the way forward in achieving long lasting peace in Pakistani militancy hit areas.
He termed gradual mainstreaming of Fata and its infrastructure development as key towards its socio economic development.
Replying to a question raised by a student, Rabbani said that army remains in a particular area for attaining pace on requisition of the federal government.
He also rejected the perception that army consumes eighty percent of the budget, and explained that all the three forces i.e. Army, Air force and Navy consume 17 per cent of the total budget, in which army share is 8.7 per cent. He stressed the need for perception management of the country and described Pakistani media as key partner in achieving it.
The seminar is a sign of solidarity with our army who are sacrificing their lives for peace within the country, said Prof Dr AZ Hilali, Chairman Department of Political Science. He said that department of political science has been arranging series of national and international seminars on core issues confronting the country and the region for capacity building of the students.
The seminar was attended by Registrar, UoP Dr Fazli Hadi, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences Prof Naeem ur Rehman, Dean Faculty of Arts and Humanities Prof. Dr Farooq Swati and a good number of students.
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