War games conclude: Kayani says military success hinges on public support

Army officials reveal the country’s military has prepared new doctrine to counter India.

Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD:
Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Sunday said the military’s success against any adversary hinges on “being fully prepared, support of the people of Pakistan and other state institutions.”

Speaking at the conclusion of two-week long war games  at the National Defense University here, Gen Kayani said the army was fully committed to meet all future challenges squarely.

“The army in coordination with the navy and air force, is fully configured and prepared to thwart any military aggression against the country,” Kayani added.

The concluding ceremony of war games titled Azm-e-Nau 4 was also attended by Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Tahir Rafiq Butt and a large number of senior officers from the three services. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), war games were meant to operationalise new strategies against the evolving threat.




At the culmination of four years of war gaming and exercises , the Pakistan military has now adopted a ‘new concept of war-fighting’ aimed at preempting India’s Cold Start doctrine, security officials told The Express Tribune. The new concept seeks to improve troops’ mobilisation time and to put up a joint army, navy and air force response to any conventional threat.

The Azm-e-Nou exercises, which started in 2009, were part of army’s new doctrine aimed at thwarting India’s Cold Start doctrine. The Cold Start doctrine intends to allow India’s conventional forces to perform swift and unexpected attacks in under 72 hours, before international pressure can be brought to bear on New Delhi and the Pakistani forces can react.

The Indian military, however, publicly denies the existence of any such doctrine.

The military official said under the new concept, in case of war, Pakistan Army’s could mobilise in much less time as compared to India.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17th, 2013.

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