COAS stresses deployment of additional manpower for polio teams' security

• Gen Bajwa visits NEOC, gets briefing on latest polio campaigns conducted in the country and challenges being faced.
• Army chief inaugurates state of the art Tunneling Institute of Pakistan launched by the FWO.
• TIP is only sixth such facility in world which has been completed and operationalised within 10 months by FWO.

RAWALPINDI: Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday said that additional manpower and resources should be provided to the polio teams to ensure a safe and secure environment at sensitive locations, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

According to the military’s media wing, Gen Bajwa visited the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC), where he was briefed on the latest polio campaigns conducted in the country and the challenges being faced.

“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,” said the ISPR.

Before visiting the NEOC, the army chief visited the Tunneling Institute of Pakistan (TIP) where he inaugurated the state-of-the-art tunnelling Institute launched by the Frontier Works Organisation.

TIP will promote professional tunnelling expertise including research and development and synergise tunnelling resources.

“TIP will provide a distinctive platform to encompass tunnelling education through both tunnelling academia and industry experts. TIP is only sixth such facility in the world which has been completed and operationalised within the planned time frame of 10 months by FWO,” said the ISPR.

Earlier on arrival at TIP, the army chief was received by Engineer in Chief (E-In-C) Lieutenant General Moazzam Ejaz and Director General FWO Major General Kamal Azfar.