No militant camps on Pak soil, says COAS

MUNICH: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa Saturday told a military conference in Munich that Pakistan defeated al-Qaeda, Tehrik-i-Taliban and other outlawed militant groups, and they could proudly say that no organised militant camps existed on Pakistani soil today.

The army chief said so while giving Pakistan’s perspective on global and regional security at Munich Security Conference in Germany. General Bajwa said that terrorists had sanctuaries in Afghanistan, from where attacks were being coordinated against Pakistan.

He said that Pakistan was ready to cooperate for peace and stability in Afghanistan, however, stressed joint efforts by all the countries to eradicate the menace of terrorism.

Expressing concerns over terrorists’ presence in Afghanistan, the COAS said that Pakistan had undertaken fencing of its border with Afghanistan and that elimination of terrorism required global cooperation. “We can proudly say that there are no militant camps in Pakistan,” he said, mentioning reports of Daesh (Islamic State) militants’ regrouping in Afghanistan.

He maintained that the territories of Pakistan and Afghanistan should not be used against the each other.

The COAS said that Pakistan had been implementing National Action Plan (NAP) in the war against terrorism. He said that Pakistan was not just conducting military offensives against terrorists rather it had also taken action against the financiers. General Bajwa said that the menace of terrorism was fought through joint efforts by the entire nation, noting that clerics from all schools of thought issued a decree against terrorism in the name of religion.