Addressing a gathering of elders from the tribal Ahmedzai Wazir community,
Kayani said the army was mandated to not only battle terrorists but also to develop the region, Urdu daily Jang reported Friday.
He was speaking Thursday in Wana, the capital of South Waziristan where he inaugurated a military cadet college.
Kayani inspected development projects, including a model village, a high school and a new market complex, being implemented under the army's supervision.
He also laid the foundation stone of the Waziristan Institute of Technology.The army chief took stock of ongoing work on the 220-km road from Wana to Angoor Adda on the Pakistan-Afghan frontier.
He said the proposed road, being constructed by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), would not only enable easier distribution of supplies but also provide a link with Afghanistan for more trade.
The mountainous Waziristan region in northwest Pakistan is home to hundreds of Al Qaeda and Taliban militants.
The US has been pressuring the Pakistan Army to act against the terrorists sheltering in North Waziristan. Pakistan says it will do that only when it feels it is ready to do so
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