Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that consolidation and retention of operation Zarb e Azb is a challenge but promised that Pakistan would do it at all costs. According to an ISPR spokesman, the army chief was addressing the officers of the Southern Command during his day long visit to Quetta. The COAS address focused on professional matters under evolving security environment. He shared thoughts on the security situation and future challenges.

He said the armed forces and nation have sacrificed a lot to bring stability to the country, and that the army had lived up to the expectations of the people of Pakistan. He said Zarb e Azb had brought considerable improvement to the internal security environment, and that the global geo-political and geo-economic environment was evolving.

“Our region is in focus. CPEC has changed the dynamics and is critical to our economic progress and stability. We shall do it at all costs. He said Pakistan’s officers had the spirit of sacrifice and valour and were the best in the world. “Pakistan’s Armed forces are fully capable and prepared to respond to a full spectrum threat,” he said.

Balochistan development: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that the development of Balochistan was the top priority of the government.

“Balochistan is the largest province of the country and is bestowed with immense resources and outstanding human talent. These resources will open new vistas of development for progress and prosperity of the province in future,” he gushed.

The army chief said that improvement of law and order in Balochistan was also a priority of the Pakistan Army. He said that together with other institutions, the Pakistan Army was extending cooperation for the purpose. He said it was an endeavour of the armed forces and other law enforcing institutions to play a positive role for economic development of the province despite limited resources.

He expressed hope that the completion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project would prove to be beginning of a new era in the development of Balochistan. The army chief said some elements were trying to create hurdles in the way of the bright future of the province. He called these are anti-state elements and claimed the people of Balochistan had rejected them. He expressed confidence that terrorists would face their doom because of the patriotism of the people of Balochistan.

General Bajwa was effusive in his praise of the Pakistan Army as an institution, terming it a symbol of national integration that had representation from all provinces according to their population ratio. “The Pakistan Army is extending all-out support for capacity building of police and other Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs),” he said.

The COAS said Pakistan was proud that youth from Balochistan were not behind anyone in safeguarding the motherland and undoubtedly every citizen of Balochistan was Pakistan’s pride and dignity. He said improvement in law and order was the priority, adding that LEAs had the full cooperation of other departments and agencies.

“Keeping in view all this, thousands of youth from the province of Balochistan have been inducted as officers and soldiers in Army, Police and other departments,” he said. He said Balochistan was Pakistan’s largest and most important province and nature has bestowed it with countless resources and its people possessed immense qualities.

He expressed the hope that Balochistan’s natural resources would open up new opportunities for its people and they would play a key role in Pakistan’s development.

The Chief of Army Staff also said that irrespective of their limited resources, the Armed Forces of Pakistan had always tried to play a positive role for educational, social and economic uplift of the province. “We believe in action and our work is before you,” he added. He said with the timely completion of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project, the region would enter into a new era of development for which the Pakistan Army was working round the clock. The COAS also expressed confidence that the passed-out recruits would utilise all their energies for safety and development of the province as well as the country.