Indian military’s hollow threats testify to their frustration: COAS

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir Tuesday said the hollow statements of the Indian military testified to their growing frustration and served only to divert the attention of their people and international community from their multiple internal fissures and blatant violations of human rights.

He said this while chairing the 267th corps commanders’ conference at the GHQ here.

Gen Asim said the army remained fully prepared for defending the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and any misadventure against Pakistan will be responded with full and resolute force of the state, InshaAllah.

The commanders took a serious note of the recent reckless and provocative statements of the Indian military leadership, terming them irresponsible and detrimental to regional stability.

The forum also underscored the need to accelerate people-centric socio-economic development initiatives in Balochistan, recognizing the urgency of countering externally driven narratives of exclusion.

“No one will be allowed to disrupt peace in Balochistan and the nefarious designs of foreign-sponsored proxies attempting to mislead and radicalize the youth of Balochistan will be decisively thwarted with the unwavering support of the people of Balochistan, InshaAllah,” the military leadership maintained.

Commending the operational preparedness of all formations, Gen Asim emphasized the importance of sustained mission-oriented training, enhanced military cooperation and conduct of joint exercises in both conventional and counter-terrorism domains.

He reaffirmed that the military leadership remained fully cognizant of the multifaceted challenges confronting the nation and was resolute in fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities with the steadfast support of the proud people of Pakistan.

The commanders expressed grave concern over the continued use of Afghan soil by Fitna Al Khwarij for terrorist activities against Pakistan and asked the interim Afghan government to take concrete and tangible actions against the Fitna in the defence of Pakistan and its people instead of denials.

The participants paid profound tribute to the armed forces and law-enforcement agencies’ personnel and citizens who laid down their lives to ensure peace and stability of the motherland.

The forum undertook a comprehensive review of the regional and internal security landscape, assessing full spectrum of threats.

The prevailing situation along the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary also came under discussion.

In solidarity with the resilient people of Kashmir on the eve of Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 (today), the forum strongly condemned continued blatant human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), recognizing them as a grave threat to regional peace and stability.

Reiterating Pakistan’s unwavering support for the legitimate struggle of Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination as enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the forum emphasized the significance of international engagement in addressing these persistent violations.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Tuesday said the soldiers of army, Frontier Corps, Rangers and police were bearing the brunt of short-sighted policies of a past government which released thousands of terrorists.

Addressing the federal cabinet meeting, the prime minister said during his visit to Quetta, he met with security personnel who were injured in an anti-terror operation in Kalat in which 18 security personnel were martyred and 23 terrorists were killed.

He said the injured soldiers were in high morale and were even ready to sacrifice their lives for the country. “These are the martyrs and Ghazis who have pledged to rid the country of terrorism and are striving day and night for the cause,” he said.