‘Security situation has improved’
Sharif’s three years at helm saw dramatic transformation as his leadership gave army new sense of purpose
Pakistan has seen terrorist incidents fall from more than 150 incidents every month in 2013 to less than ten a month today, and “the situation in Pakistan has moved from hopeless to hopeful”, said retired General Raheel Sharif in Davos at the World Economic Forum.
It is only two months since Sharif stepped down in November 2016 from being the Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army. His three years in the post saw a dramatic transformation as his leadership gave the military a new and clear sense of purpose which took effect in the highly successful Zarb-e-Azb operations which dramatically reduced the terrorist threat that had dominated the security situation in Pakistan for years.
Sharif did not see the military success as an end in itself, and during his speech he made it clear that the military task was to support a stable society and successful economy, to which end he spoke of the importance of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and its “game changing” effect on the Pakistan economy.
Sharif has also been mentioned as the future Chief of Staff for the Saudi-led Islamic Military Alliance of 39 Muslim nations ready to fight terror, but he refused to confirm his appointment when speaking to Gulf News after the meeting, saying that this was still under discussion. Sharif was speaking at the Pakistan Breakfast hosted by Ikram Sehgal of the Pathfinder Group, and the general first outlined the huge scale of the fight against terror in Pakistan that has been going on for the past three years in Operation Zarb-e-Azb which was carried out in North Waziristan.
After the success in North Waziristan, Sharif moved on to create two new army divisions to protect the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
“It is the army’s task to ensure that the rule of the state can run everywhere in the country,” said Sharif. “Our neighbourhood is safer; peace has improved; and CPEC will make a big difference to the country,” he said.
It is the army’s task to ensure that the rule of the state can run everywhere in the country. Our neighbourhood is safer; peace has improved; and CPEC will make a big difference.” Raheel Sharif | Retired army chief