Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said on Thursday that Pakistani forces were fully prepared to face any aggression from outside and protect the sovereignty of the country, and no one should have any illusions about that.
The army chief was chairing the two-day 67th Formation Commanders’ Conference at General Headquarters. “The two-day long conference is a part of regular meetings and is being attended by corps commanders, principal staff officers and formation commanders,” said a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations. “The forum was given comprehensive briefings on external and internal security situation in the country. The participants dwelt at length on various professional matters,” it said. According to the statement, in his opening address, General Kayani expressed his satisfaction over operational preparedness of the army and exhorted field commanders to focus on training of their charges as it was the hallmark of a professional army.
“The chief of army staff appreciated the conduct of ongoing military and stabilisation operations, being undertaken to restore and sustain peace in the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas. He also appreciated relentless rescue and relief efforts by troops during operation Labbaik 2, in the flood affected areas of Sindh,” said the statement. A security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said General Kayani briefly touched on the ongoing tensions with Afghanistan on the country’s western border. The Taliban-linked militants based in Afghanistan have repeatedly attacked the posts of Pakistani troops in recent months from across the border, resulting in skirmishes with border forces and killings of dozens of soldiers and terrorists. He said General Kayani observed that the armed forces were ready to protect the sovereignty of the country and give a befitting response to any aggression from outside. Kayani said attacks on Pakistani soil by the militants from Afghanistan must stop with Afghan and US-led foreign troops playing their full role in the prevention of such attacks.
“General Kayani said that no one should have any illusions about the defence capabilities of the Pakistani armed forces,” the official said. He said General Kayani also took the military commanders into confidence over the ongoing reconciliatory efforts between Islamabad and Washington. “General Kayani said Pakistan was willing to extend all possible help to the US for lasting peace in Afghanistan but no one should question its credentials when it comes to counter-terrorism efforts,” the official said.
Army ready in the face of aggression, says Kayani
