Time for world to respect Pakistan, says British ex-general

• Shaw lauded General Bajwa’s efforts saying he focused on supporting softer aspects of societal re-growth.
• Targeted actions against the terrorists by Pakistan’s military yielded positive results for the country: former general
• Shaw says royal couple's recent visit to Pakistan has succeeded in portraying a positive image of the country worldwide.

(Karachi) Following the successful visit of the royal couple to Pakistan, a retired senior British Army Officer Jonathan Shaw acknowledged the progress the country has made to restore law and order and stability under the military command of General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

In his recent article for the UK based Spectator Magazine, the former army officer called the world to give due respect to Pakistan.

Jonathan Shaw recently paid a visit to different areas in Pakistan. He is the former head of the Special Air Service (SAS) and also the in charge of Pakistan policy.

Jonathan Shaw wrote, “The recent visit of the Dutch and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate Middleton, to Pakistan has succeeded in portraying a positive image of the country worldwide. The visit shows Pakistan has transformed its internal security situation.”

The former general wrote that General Bajwa has focused on supporting the softer aspects of societal re-growth.  “When I used to go to Pakistan regularly during 2009 and 2010, I saw a country facing an existential crisis. Pakistan harbours 2.7 million refugees from 1979 then 2001 invasions in Afghanistan,” wrote Jonathan Shaw.

He added that APS Peshawar attack in 2014 by Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan was a real turning point in Pakistan’s history in which nearly 158 people lost their lives.

Shaw mentioned that targeted actions against the terrorists by Pakistan’s military yielded positive results for the country.

“As has been discovered in both Iraq and Afghanistan, winning the military battles is the easy part; it is winning the peace that is harder. The Pakistanis were quick to recognise that this was more than a military battle and, in 2015, issued a National Action Plan – focused on assimilating the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA),” he maintained.

He said, “These refugees had settled initially amongst their fellow Pashtuns in the FATA, a breeding ground for the jihadis who fought the Russians and then the US-led coalition. By 2008, many of these jihadis had moved out of the FATA, an area not under government control, into the Swat Valley. There, not far from the capital Islamabad, they posed a direct threat to the authority of the central government.”

Shaw said, “The government has taken control of 28,000 madrassas, their teachers and the curriculum, with the consent of local religious leaders. In a bid to stop infiltration of militants, the country’s border with Afghanistan is being sealed off.”

The former army officer pointed out, “I visited the Khyber Pass section of the 833 kilometer fence, with 700 guard forts along its route, soon to be augmented by CCTV and sensor devices. This one billion dollar effort has choked off the Haqqani and TTP terrorist networks. And in a further sign of national CT resolve, all those on the US ‘watch-list’ in Pakistan have been arrested. Much credit for this must go to the Chief of the Army Staff, General Bajwa. He was picked as COAS over the heads of more senior officers on account of his strong pro-democracy attitudes.”

He stated, “His character and broad vision for the overall strength of Pakistan explains why Prime Minister Imran Khan has recently extended him for a second three year term. And he is well-matched to his PM, who has shown strength and courage with his anti-corruption drive, his Peace and Prosperity agenda and his release of the Indian pilot shot down in the Pulwama incident in Kashmir this February.”

He remarked, “Now is not the time to ask for more from Pakistan; now is the time for the world to give more respect to Pakistan.”