PESHAWAR: Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa met the father of Naqeebullah Mehsud and offered his condolences over the death of the latter’s son during his visit to Makeen in South Waziristan Agency on Thursday.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that Gen Bajwa met Haji Khan Muhammad and offered Fateha for the departed soul.

“Army shall support all efforts to let him get the justice,” an ISPR statement quo­ted the army chief as saying.

Naqeebullah along with his two companions was kill­ed in a fake encounter with police in Karachi on Jan 13. His killing sparked countrywide protests. Civil society groups staged ‘Pakhtun long march’ in Islamabad for nine days and demanded arr­est of suspended SSP Rao Anwar who headed the enco­unter party. Rao is now in the custody of Sindh Police.

Army chief inaugurates uplift projects during his visit to South Waziristan Agency

Meanwhile, Gen Bajwa during his visit to South Waziristan Agency inaugurated two mega projects.

The ISPR said the two projects are an agriculture park in Wana and a market in Makeen. Both these facilities were part of a socio-economic uplift programme for Fata. The projects have been executed by army engineers in collaboration with the line departments of Fata Secretariat.

The agriculture park in Wana comprises multiple components, including a state-of-the-art pine nut processing plant, 1,000-tonne capacity cold storage facility, warehouses, godowns and 128 shops.

‘Makeen Market Complex’ has 728 shops, allied facilities and a children park.

Speaking to tribal elders, Gen Bajwa said that having lived through very difficult times when terrorists were active in the area and military operations were held against them, tribal people were now in a phase of stability and development.

He urged the elder not to allow anyone to jeopardise peace attained after sacrificing many lives and spending huge financial resources. He said that the earliest mainstreaming of Fata to the popular aspirations of local tribes was essential for its development and enduring stability.

The army chief acknowledged the full support of tribal people to the army and their resolve to maintain and strengthen the gains of the military operations.

The Peshawar corps commander and the inspector general of FC Khyber Pakh­tun­­khwa south accompanied Gen Bajwa during the visit.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2018