HARIPUR: Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited Shingri Bagh village here on Thursday to offer condolences to the family of martyred military officer Captain Basit Ali.

Accompanied by his wife, the COAS stayed with the family for some time.

He praised the sacrifices of martyred military officers and said rendering life for the country was the supreme sacrifice and the nation was proud of its heroes for it.

The COAS offered fateha for Captain Basit.

Captain Basit was laid to rest in the Shingri Bagh graveyard on Wednesday.

The young military officer from the 28 Baloch Regiment was martyred with sepoy Hazrat Ali during an exchange of fire with militants in Zewa area of Kurramtribal district on July 12.

Meanwhile, Gen Bajwa spent the first day of Eidul Azha with troops near Pak-Afghan border in Kurram tribal district, Peshawar Bureau adds.

During interaction with troops, the COAS appreciated their high morale and unflinching resolve to defend the motherland, said ISPR in a statement.

He expressed complete satisfaction with operational preparedness of the formation and effective measures in place for border security.

He lauded formation for expeditious fencing in the area of responsibility along Pak-Afghan border and reiterated Pak Army’s firm resolve to ensure security along our borders in the face of evolving challenges.

“We are ever ready to defend Pakistan against all the threats and at all costs”, he said.

General Bajwa lauded the formation for rendering continuous assistance to civil administration in execution of ongoing projects for socio-economic uplift of the area.

Earlier, the army chief was received by Peshawar Corps Commander Lt-Gen Nauman Mahmood.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2021