Daily Times

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Thursday that the nation should not forget the military’s sacrifices.

In what was his first direct reference to the ongoing country-wide movement against injustices meted out to the Pashtun population of tribal region, the COAS commented that peace had returned to the region in a short while ago, and some people had already started a movement.

General Bajwa held that Pakistanis had a ‘history of forgetting [the nation’s] heroes’.

He said no harm would come to the country as long as it stood behind the armed forces, but warned that no one would be allowed to hurt the integrity of Pakistan

“There are some people, both in and out of the country, who are bent upon hurting the integrity of Pakistan,” General Bajwa said, while speaking at an awards ceremony held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

“We want to tell these people: No matter what you do, you can bring no harm to this country as long as the people of this nation stand behind its armed forces,” he said.

Further, the army chief paid glowing tributes to the families of martyrs and war heroes. “No medal can substitute for the sacrifices of these martyrs,” he said, adding that peace in the country prevailed due to the martyrs and war heroes.

The army chief stressed that the sacrifices of the martyrs should never be forgotten. “Nations that forget the sacrifices of their martyrs fade out [from history],” he said, advising the young officers to always remember the brave officers who laid their lives for the country.

“We do not want to forget these martyrs after complete peace is established in our country because they are part of our history,” he said.

The army chief said he was often asked how Pakistan had managed to wipe out terrorists from its territory, while the latter were still wreaking havoc across the world. “I say in my response that until Pakistani nation keeps producing mothers, daughters and wives who are always ready to sacrifice for this country, we will remain successful in our war against terrorism.”

“I salute these mothers, daughters, wives, and parents [of the martyrs],” he said.

At the ceremony, Sitara-e-Imtiaz was conferred on 32 military officers, while four officers and soldiers were awarded the UN Medal.

Two officers were awarded the Tamgha-e-Jurat and 33 officers and soldiers were given the Tamgha-e-Basalat. The families of martyrs received awards from the army chief, who paid homage to their sacrifices for the country.

Published in Daily Times, April 13^th 2018.