Pak Army to raise new security division, 28 battalions

Islamabad, February 7

The Pakistan Army plans to raise a new security division as well as additional 28 battalions and has sought extra funds from the government for it, amid increasing terror attacks on the educational institutions in the country.

Top Army officials yesterday met Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and demanded “financing and the release of funds”, Dawn reported, citing a statement issued by the Finance Ministry.

The “government attaches the highest importance to security matters” and assured the “provision of funds for the new security division and additional battalions,” Dar was quoted as saying in the statement.

The Army launched a massive military operation in 2014 against Taliban militants who are blamed for brazen attacks on government and military installations.

Since then, the military has claimed to kill thousands of militants in air raids in the north and through intelligence-based operations in various parts of the country.

Despite the military crackdown, the Taliban militants continued their attacks, targeting public places and educational institutions.

The militants attacked a university in Charsadda last month, killing 21 people, including 19 students, in an attack that bore resemblance to the brazen December 2014 assault on an army-run school in Peshawar that killed 144, mostly students. — PTI