Pak army chief dubs US drone strikes regrettable

Asserting that the U.S. drone strikes were regrettable, Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif on Wednesday said that it must stop, as it is a threat to the sovereignty and security of the country.

Speaking after attending President Mamnoon Hussain's address to a joint session of Parliament, he said that the China-

Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a national project and must be completed at any cost.

"The security situation in Karachi and Balochistan is improving," The Dawn quoted him, as saying.

He also said that border management with Afghanistan was improving, and now the responsibility lies with Kabul as there were fewer checkposts on the other side.

"Operation Zarb-i-Azb is underway across the country and failure is not an option for us," said Sharif, adding "We have to maintain the victories of Operation Zarb-i-Azb. Terrorists will not be allowed to re-enter into areas cleared in South Waziristan and North Waziristan."

Earlier in the day, President Mamnoon Hussain addressed a joint session to mark a new year in Parliament, discussing national security and foreign policy.

During the address, he said that Pakistan's democracy has been strengthened to the extent that it can now withstand various crises.