Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif has said that the Pakistan Army is ready to cope up with any sort of challenge, as the soldiers are well prepared due to already being in a state of war.

The “Pakistan Army is the most battle-hardened army in the world” and its soldiers face challenges dauntlessly, he said while speaking at the finals of the 4th COAS Young Soldiers Inter Central PACES (Physical Agility and Combat Efficiency System) Championship at FF Centre in Abbottabad on Thursday.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the COAS appreciated the participants of the competition and trainers for achieving very high standards of physical fitness and professionalism. He further commented that professionalism of “our army in combats is far superior to any other army in the world”, and the soldiers had the capability to retaliate any kind of foreign attacks.

A total of 405 contestants from 22 Regimental Centres participated in the event. Sepoy Sheeraz Khan did 1,214 push-ups in 30 minutes to clinch first position in this category. Sepoy Jamshaid Khan stood first in chin-ups competition by doing 68 chin-ups, while Sapper Akmal Hussain did 2134 sit-ups to secure first position in this event. Sepoy Muhammad Asif was declared “fit of the fittest” in the competition for securing 2,474 marks.

Separately, talking to members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Defence Production at the General Headquarters (GHQ) on Thursday, the army chief made it clear that sacrifices of the armed forces, security agencies and the public against terrorism would never go waste, as the whole nation was united against that menace.

It was for the first time that the committee members – headed by Chairman Khawaja Sohail Mansoor – visited the GHQ, where the COAS welcomed the parliamentarians.

The director general military operations (DGMO) briefed the committee on the current security situation on the borders, entire threat spectrum and operational preparedness of the army. The COAS had a detailed discussion with the committee members on various issues related to national security.

According to the ISPR, Khawaja Sohail Mansoor thanked the COAS on behalf of all the visiting members for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to them at the GHQ. He said that the entire nation was proud of its valiant armed forces and would always stand behind them.