Ex-COAS' views on army's combat worthiness quoted out of context: ISPR

Military says Pakistan will continue to take pride in its operational preparedness and utmost combat worthiness

The military’s media wing clarified on Friday that a former army chief's “off the record” claims about Pakistan army’s "combat worthiness" were “quoted out of context” in the media.

“Recently, there have been discussions in media on Pakistan army’s combat worthiness in view of the condition of certain weapon systems on its inventory,” stated the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

The military’s media wing added that the “views of former army chief on future threat to Pakistan, which he shared with media persons in an off the record interactive session, have been quoted out of the context”.

“Army assures the people of Pakistan that we always took and will continue to take pride in our operational preparedness and utmost combat worthiness,” the ISPR further added.

The statement maintained that "Pakistan’s Armed Forces always did and will continue to keep their weapons, equipment and battle hardened human resource ever ready for the defence of the motherland."

The clarification by the ISPR comes almost a week after journalist Hamid Mir claimed in an interview on a local news channel that former chief of army staff “Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa told 20-25 journalists in 2021 that the Pakistan Army was not capable of combat”.

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The senior journalist had further claimed that the former army chief had made a deal on “[occupied] Kashmir”, the details of which have yet not been made public, following the 2021 ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

Mir added that immediately after the ceasefire, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to visit Pakistan but the then-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and premier Imran Khan were unaware of the development.

He furthered that Bajwa came to the Foreign Office with his convoy after then-PM demanded details of the Indian premier’s visit and gave a lecture specifying that there was not enough diesel to run the army's tanks, which would hamper the movement of troops.

Gen Munir's HIT visit

Earlier this month, it was reported that incumbent Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir visited the Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT), where he was briefed on the progress of ongoing projects and the latest developments in defence production.

According to the ISPR, the army chief was briefed during his visit on the technical capabilities of the HIT, the progress of ongoing projects, indigenisation efforts, and recently undertaken modernisation measures.

The COAS also visited various factories of HIT and witnessed the manufacturing, rebuilding, and upgradation of tanks, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), enhanced protection solutions, remote weapon systems, and indigenous 155mm artillery gun barrels for the Pakistan Army.