General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), said on Friday that minorities in Pakistan are equal citizens, and it is the state’s responsibility to safeguard them, according to the military.
The army chief made these statements during a visit to Nagarparkar, Sindh’s Tharparker district, where he spent the day with troops and was briefed by the local commander on the formation’s operational readiness, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
General Qamar commended the state of morale and motivation of the troops while talking with them, according to the ISPR.
He also instructed the troops to stay focused on their professional responsibilities and training in order to respond effectively to any emergent threat.
Later, the COAS met with the local Hindu community, according to the statement. They praised Pakistan’s efforts to create a secure environment for the country’s minorities. They promised that the community will work tirelessly to ensure the country’s economic success.
The army commander was also joined by the Commander Karachi Corps and Director General Pakistan Rangers (Sindh), according to the ISPR.
On Wednesday, during a spike in terrorist attacks around the country the COAS made it very clear that terrorists’ desperate attempts to resurrect themselves will not be allowed to succeed.
In barely two weeks, at least two dozen security people have embraced martyrdom in different terrorist attacks, according to Gen Qamar, who made the assertion while presiding over the 247th Corps Commanders’ conference held at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
The attendees were informed about the measures being taken to counter hostile activities to destabilise Pakistan, according to the ISPR.
“The forum paid honour to the martyrs who made the ultimate sacrifice for the country’s defence while heroically repelling recent terrorist attacks in Balochistan and inflicting significant losses on them,” according to the statement.
The army chief expressed satisfaction with the formations’ operational readiness and the measures in place to prevent hostile forces’ plans.
“In the war against terrorism, we’ve come a long way.” Armed forces, with the nation’s support, have carried out effective operations against terrorists of all stripes. The ISPR quoted General Qamar as saying, “Their desperate attempts at resurrection will not be permitted to succeed.”
“Regardless of the cost, we will remove all traces of terrorists, their abettors, and accomplices,” he added.
The army chief, according to the official handout, urged all units to focus on maintaining high levels of basic military training in order to ensure effective execution of operations in the conventional and sub-conventional domains.
