Islamabad: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday visited North Waziristan tribal region near the Afghan border for the first time since the Pakistani military launched an offensive there in June last year to wipe out terrorist sanctuaries.
The prime minister reviewed the newly-started process of return of displaced tribal people to their homes in North Waziristan during his brief stay at Mir Ali, the main two in the region. He also attended briefing on the results of the antiterrorism operation.
Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister lauded the sacrifices of the tribal people in the war against terrorism and said they had to leave their homes to help the security forces carry out an effective operation against terrorists.
He was informed at the briefing that most of the areas in North Waziristan have been cleared of terrorists in the ongoing military operation Zarb-e-Azb.
Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Mehtab Ahmad Khan, and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif accompanied the prime minister.
An estimated one million people had fled the conflict zone for safer areas in neighbouring Khyber Pakthunkhwa province where camps were set up for them.
Besides North Waziristan, the military has also been engaged in air and ground operations against terrorist hideouts in other tribal areas, particularly the Khyber Agency, focusing on Tirah Valley hub of militants.
On Thursday, the military’s public relations wing reported what it called “a huge success” in operation in Khyber.
It said security forces captured four terrorist strongholds in Khyber, killing 27 terrorists.
Five soldiers including an officer, captain Ajmal “embraced Shahadat [martyrdom],” the Inter-Services Public Relations said.
Civil and military leadership have often vowed that the operation would continue till complete elimination of the menace of terrorism.
