ISLAMABAD: Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday rejected claims by his Indian counterpart General Bipin Rawat about ‘so called surgical strikes’ and their possible recurrence. According to ISPR, Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa made it clear that “Pakistan Armed Forces were fully geared to respond to any aggression by India.” It may be mentioned here that Indian Army Chief General Bipin claimed in a interview that the surgical strikes in the past occurred at Bhimbher sector of line of control and threatened that if needed, India would do it again. Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that the network of development projects envisioned under CPEC will put Balochistan at the heart of our national development effort. If Pakistan managed to stay committed to this vision, it would be connected not only with China, Central Asia and Africa but also with other important economies of the world. External challenges emanate from perceived geopolitical divergences and competing interests. He said Pakistan’s own shortcomings were exploited and fueled by its enemies, which had taken it away from the path of progress. He was addressing a national seminar on economic development at Khuzdar on Thursday. According to ISPR, the COAS said that Balochistan today was under sharp scrutiny due to its geographic importance in relation to the role that it was likely to play in the regional economy. “Our enemies have been trying to keep Balochistan in a state of unrest and instability. Alhamdulillah, we being a resilient nation have fought well and have defeated their designs. Today’s Balochistan is stronger, more integrated and on its way to recovery. Development of Gwadar Port, construction of 870 km of road infrastructure and realization of CPEC is testimony to our national resolve. The federal and provincial governments as well as the army are trying their best to ensure peace and stability in the province, but the job is only half done. What we need to do is to remain focused on our vision of connecting the whole region and even beyond for economic growth and prosperity.” For this, he said the prerequisite was to optimise Balochistan’s geo-strategic location and galvanise enormous human and natural resource potential. He stressed that this was only possible if Pakistan effectively dealt with both external and internal challenges. “External challenges emanate from perceived geopolitical divergences and competing interests. Connectivity is not just about bringing places closer, it is also about binding people through the bond of shared development and prosperity.” The army chief made clear that in line with Pakistan’s collective commitment, the Pakistan Army would leave no stone unturned to fulfill its responsibilities.