PM, COAS spend Eid with army jawans on Pak-Afghan border

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir Thursday spent the day of Eid with army jawans in Parachinar along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The prime minister was accompanied by Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar, Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb.

The prime minister and chief of army staff offered the Eid prayer along with army officers and jawans and later exchanged Eid greetings.

The PM praised the army for its high resolve, operational preparedness and professional standards. During the meeting with the officers and jawans, Shehbaz Sharif said he along with the army chief was spending the Eid with them so that he could

pay tribute to their efforts and passion for defending the borders of the motherland with bravery and courage.

He said the officers and jawans of Pakistan’s armed forces leave their personal comfort to perform the sacred obligation of the protection, defence and security of the country. They bear the hardships of weather and difficult conditions, face all kinds of challenges and problems and guard the borders of the motherland and for that endeavour the nation saluted them.

He said the officers and jawans individually and collectively gave priority to the security of the country whether it was any happy occasion or festival, including Eid or an occasion of grief and the nation saluted them for this fervour.

He said today he was paying tribute to the officers and jawans of Pakistan Army, air force, and navy for their services as they were fulfilling the sacred duty of security of borders of the country with iron determination despite immense obstacles.

The prime minister felicitated the whole nation, including the officers and jawans of armed forces on the occasion of Eid. He reaffirmed the resolve that there would be no place to hide for those who destroyed peace, perpetrated terrorism or abetted or facilitated acts of terror.

The Pakistani nation failed the nefarious designs of the forces who were causing chaos and mayhem in the country, he said, adding those forces were defeated who wanted to create divisions and fissures in the nation for their evil agenda. He said martyrs were the pride and precious asset of Pakistan and its nation and their honour and dignity were above everything else.

The prime minister laid a wreath at the monument of the martyrs and offered Fateha.

Earlier, the chief of army staff received the prime minister. On this occasion, Commander 11 Corps and high-level officers of the provincial government were also present.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday met Punjab Governor Muhammad Balighur Rehman here at the Governor’s House.

During the meeting, they discussed the overall provincial law and order, and political situation in the country, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

Minister for Finance Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and PM’s Special Assistant Tariq Bajwa were also present in the meeting.