Daily Times

The military’s top brass on Tuesday vowed not to let “hard-earned successes” against terrorism go wasted in the wake of recent attacks in Balochistan.

In the latest flare-up of violence, dozens of militants affiliated with the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) launched numerous attacks last week across Balochistan, targeting security personnel as well as civilians.

At least 50 people, including 14 security men, lost their lives as militants went on a rampage across the province, storming police stations, blowing up railway tracks, and setting fire to almost three dozen vehicles. In response, security forces neutralised 21 militants.

Among those killed were 23 people in Musakhail, mostly labourers from Punjab, who were offloaded from trucks and vans and shot dead after an identity check.

A press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued said Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir presided over the Corps Commanders’ Conference at the General Headquarters to discuss the prevailing geo-strategic environment, national security challenges, and strategic and operational responses to emerging threats.

“In assessing the inimical forces, malicious actors, subversive proxies, and the facilitators of Pakistan’s external and internal adversaries, particularly those active in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the forum deliberated on a range of measures to neutralise these threats.

“The forum reaffirmed that the Pakistan Army, with the unwavering support of the people, will not allow the hard-earned successes against terrorism to be reversed,” the ISPR said.

It added that recognising the “urgency and significance of a robust and effective legal system”, the army chief stressed that the army would continue to extend “comprehensive support to the government, administrative apparatus and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in taking swift and lawful action against terrorists, anarchists, and criminal mafias”.

The military officers also “expressed satisfaction over ongoing efforts against illegal spectrum operating in collusion with terrorist networks” and underscored the “critical need” to safeguard national cyberspace through “stringent cybersecurity measures”.

The forum’s participants paid tribute to martyrs from the armed forces, LEAs, and citizenry who “laid down their lives in Balochistan and KP in pursuit of peace and stability of Pakistan”.

The army brass emphasised that the military was a “disciplined institution, upholding the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and loyalty” to the state and itself.

“The institution’s well-established and rigorous system of accountability ensures that these values are preserved with unwavering commitment, allowing no room for exceptions or partiality. This strict adherence to accountability fortifies the army’s integrity, ensuring that no individual is above the law or exempt from scrutiny.”

The conference’s participants also expressed solidarity with Kashmiris and honoured the resistance fighters and martyrs in Indian-occupied Kashmir while also strongly condemning the “blatant continued violence and genocide of Palestinians by Israel”.

The ISPR said the huddle expressed confidence in the military’s operational preparedness and readiness and vowed to continue to “uphold the standards in pursuit of professional excellence”.