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Army Chief Quetta

Terrorists are externally funded, internally facilitated: COAS

QUETTA: The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Raheel Sharif, on Tuesday said foreign adversaries have been more than eager to exploit any opportunity to destabilise Pakistan by harbouring, training and funding dissidents and militants.

He said this while addressing a national seminar on peace and prosperity in Balochistan. Chief Minister Balochistan Nawabzada Sanaullah Zehri, Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Commander Southern Command, members of parliament, representatives of academia and the media were also present.

The COAS said, “It is heartening to note that successive governments in the Centre and province have sought to pursue a policy of reconciliation and engagement in Balochistan. The measures taken in this regard may not be sufficient for some, but they are steps taken in the right direction.”

General Raheel said terrorists are externally supported and internally facilitated. They are defiant and cunning. He said the law enforcement agencies have conducted over 2,400 intelligence-based operations in Balochistan since Aug 2014 and 204 lives have been sacrificed.

He said the Operation Zarb-e-Azb enjoys the support of the people of Pakistan from all walks of life.

“Our men are out to eliminate terrorist and militant hideouts and sever their linkages across the country.”

M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.