Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa said the army will standby 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 stabilisation and consolidation of gains achieved.

He said the nexus between the terrorists and facilitators in urban areas will be 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. About temporarily displaced persons (TDPs), the army chief emphasised on their early return.

-INP