Don’t let politics turn into hatred: COAS

ISLAMABAD:

Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir said on Friday that political differences must not turn into hatred and stressed that strong relations between the army and the people would serve as the foundation to defeat any enemy.

“For national unity, it is essential that political differences do not turn into hatred,” the army chief said, speaking at a Defence Day ceremony at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. Prime Shehbaz Sharif and federal ministers also attended the ceremony.

To achieve national unity, the army chief emphasised the crucial need for safeguard the rights of minorities according to the Constitution and rising above religious intolerance.

The army chief also discussed the operation “Azm-e-Istahkam” (Resolve of Stability) aimed at ending terrorism. He mentioned, “Operation Azm-e-Istahkam is part of the National Action Plan. In this long war, not only the Pakistan Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies but also a large number of civilians, especially from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, have made great sacrifices.”

He highlighted that the brave people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have made extraordinary sacrifices, which are a golden chapter in the history of the nation.

He further stated, “I want to make it clear to the foreign powers involved in spreading terrorism that the Pakistan Armed Forces and the people of Pakistan know how to defend their sovereignty and will never allow your evil intentions to succeed.”

Gen Munir emphasised that the Pakistani nation stood shoulder to shoulder with its armed forces and would continue to defend the nation’s sovereignty for the future.

Declaring the youth as the future and asset of Pakistan, the army chief said that unwavering faith in the bright future of Pakistan was an essential part of being a Pakistani.

He remarked that a long and enduring fight had been carried out against terrorism, and the series of sacrifices continued to this day, which would persist until the elimination of terrorists. “The malicious goals aimed at weakening national unity will not succeed.”

General Asim Munir reiterated, “The armed forces and the people of Pakistan know how to defend their sovereignty and will not allow the enemy’s nefarious objectives to succeed. The strong bond between the Pakistani nation and its armed forces is the reason behind the enemy’s defeat.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, paying tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the homeland, said that Defence Day was a great symbol of Pakistan’s national identity, and the army and security agencies would continue their operations until the elimination of the Khariji fitna.

Speaking at the central ceremony for Defence and Martyrs’ Day in Rawalpindi, he said that Defence Day was a great reference to “our national identity”.

“This day reminds us of the sacrifices of all those martyrs who laid down their lives for the freedom and protection of their homeland. No amount of tribute can ever be enough for these devoted souls.”

He added that this day reminded of the national pride that empowered “our great nation to thwart the nefarious designs of an enemy” intoxicated with power.

He recalled that the enemy, who dreamt of having tea at Lahore Gymkhana, fled even faster than the speed with which they made the foolish mistake of crossing Pakistan’s borders.

“The evidence of their shameful retreat, preserved in the Military Museum, will continue to remind future generations of the unparalleled unity and victory of our armed forces and the nation,” he said.

The prime minister said, “I salute the great mothers who sacrificed their sons for this nation, and I swear by the tears of these courageous mothers that we will never let the sacrifices of their brave sons go in vain.”

He reiterated that the army and security forces would continue their operations until the Khariji fitna was completely eliminated.

He saluted the families of Shuhada, whose immense resilience and strength continued to inspire the nation.

The prime minister emphasised that divisions within the nation posed threat to the country’s integrity and any movement in the country aimed at weakening the state would not be tolerated at any cost.

“Abuse or bullets are not the solution to the issues,” he said, stressing the need for unity among the nation.

The prime minister said all Pakistanis were responsible to ensure development, peace and stability in the country. “We might be in different fields but our goal is only one that is development, integrity and security of Pakistan.”

He said Pakistan was a peace-loving country. “We have proven that Pakistan did not have aggressive designs against its neighbors.” He said Pakistan was playing positive role in promoting regional and global peace.

“The prosperity always comes with peace, we desire respectful and peaceful relations with regional countries, but we will never compromise on our national interests, respect and independence,” Shehbaz added.

He said, “We have defeated our enemy’s evil designs for multiple times but their evil intentions were still a big threat to Pakistan’s security.”

As regards the issue of Kashmir, the prime minister said non-resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute was hampering the pace of positive development in the region.

“Kashmir is the unfinished agenda of the Partition that needs immediate settlement as per the aspirations of the people of Kashmir and according to the relevant UN Security Council resolutions through an impartial plebiscite. At the same time, roots of terrorism stemming from our neighbors need to be curbed in our common interest,” he added.