The command of Malakand Division was withdrawn from the Pakistan Army and handed to the Frontier Corps during a ceremony in Swat’s cantonment Thursday.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and Peshawar Corps Commander General Faiz Hameed attended the ceremony.

Addressing the ceremony, the CM paid tribute to the Pakistan Army, Frontier Corps, police and tribal elders for maintaining the peace in Swat. He said the government was taking firm measures for progress of tourism in the region.

General Hameed said the army was fully aware of internal and external threats to the region. He lauded people of the district as well as beauty of Swat, saying the Army needed support of local people for its achievements against terrorists.

The handing over of the command to the FC after at least 15 years of the operation in Swat was considered a major development in the context of ongoing talks between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the tribal elders, which was facilitated by the Afghan government, for ending militancy in the region.

The Army killed major TTP commanders, including Fazlullah, during the Rah-e-Haq operation in the district to maintain peace in Swat.