Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday said the army will stand by the tribal people of Fata and work with the government to bring about equitable development across the region, said a statement released by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The newly-appointed army chief made the remarks while visiting Corps Headquarters Peshawar, where he was briefed about the current state of security operations in Fata, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Malakand divisions.

General Bajwa said the focus must remain on indiscriminate intelligence-based and combing operations for stabilization and consolidation of gains achieved.

He said the nexus between the terrorists and facilitators in urban areas will severed, no matter how much time or effort it takes.

The chief of army staff also viewed progress towards better border management with Afghanistan, and was told that terrorists are concentrated on the other side of the border, and continue to make efforts for activity inside Pakistan.

“For optimum effect, border management will have to be bilateral both by Pakistan and Afghanistan on their respective sides,” said General Bajwa.

Speaking of temporarily displaced persons (TDPs), the army chief emphasised on their early return.

“TDPs must be helped to resettle in their native towns with social infrastructure in place, in conjunction with the civil government,” said the COAS.

Earlier in November, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif selected two senior army officers as Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

A career infantry officer belonging to the Baloch Regiment, Lt Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was appointed as the new COAS, while Lt Gen Zubair Hayat was appointed the CJCSC.