Photo courtesy ISPR
Army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday visited the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) and directed authorities to ensure additional manpower and resources for polio vaccinators to ensure their safety in sensitive locations.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Chief of Army Staff was briefed on polio campaigns nationwide during his visit as well as the challenges being faced by vaccination teams. “The COAS directed to provide additional manpower/resources in sensitive locations to ensure a safe and secure environment for polio teams for proper reach and effectiveness of polio campaigns to achieve the objective of a polio-free Pakistan,” it said.
Also on Wednesday, the Army chief visited the Tunneling Institute of Pakistan to inaugurate a state-of-the-art Tunneling Institute launched by the Frontier Works Organization. According to the ISPR, the Tunneling Institute would promote professional tunneling expertise, including research and development, and synergize tunneling resources.
“[The] TIP will provide a distinctive platform to encompass tunneling education through both tunneling academia and industry experts. TIP is only the sixth such facility in the world, which has been completed and operationalized within the planned time-frame of 10 months by FWO,” it said, adding that the Army chief had been received by Engineer-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Moazzam Ejaz and FWO Director-General Major General Kamal Azfar upon his arrival to the TIP.