Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Monday said the nation had amply demonstrated that it could withstand any challenge by defeating the threat of terrorism and misguided minority by voting in the general elections.
Addressing a counter-IED (C-IED) symposium, army chief Kayani said the Pakistani people headed to polls on May 11 despite the threat of terrorism.
“In these elections, people of Pakistan not only courageously withstood the threat of terrorism, they also defied unfounded dictates of an insignificant and misguided minority.”
The COAS said “our commitment to moderation, prosperity and rule of law” was total and unwavering and Pakistani nation had the resolve and a firm belief to overcome the challenges towards attainment of these goals.
He said one of these challenges was the threat of terrorism and in fighting this menace, “we share the experience of many other nations. Pakistan has a rich experience of dealing and succeeding against the faceless enemy who employs highly innovative means of destruction”.
“It is indeed an honour and privilege for me to address this remarkable gathering representing experts in a wide variety of disciplines and from a number of countries. The diversity, background and expertise of the guests has made this symposium a truly rewarding and successful event. As a nation we are peace loving people. Overwhelming majority of our people is moderate, resilient and extraordinarily hardworking,” Kayani said.
He said over time, IEDs had posed a new dimension of threat to the public as well as law enforcement agencies.
He emphasised that the threat and impact of these weapons was not Pakistan-specific.
“IEDs have caused devastation at both regional and global levels. These have been used with unfortunate consistency in Iraq and Afghanistan and thankfully, somewhat inconsistently, in other countries of the world.”
The COAS said Pakistan had come a long way in fighting the menace over the past 2-3 years by taking significant policy initiatives to counter the IED threat.
“The Pakistan Army, aware of the seriousness of the threat, is leading the drive to create a pragmatic, cost-effective and efficient C-IED Strategy. This strategy aims at creating awareness, assisting legislation, adopting best practices from across the world, suitably equipping the forces and effectively training them.”
He said production of CAN Fertilizer for agriculture purpose had come under national and international focus, adding that Pakistan tightened the control on sale and distribution of CAN.
He hoped that with the support and collaboration of international community, Pakistan and the region would overcome the menace of IEDs.
The COAS proposed the formation of a Regional Military C-IED Forum supported by a wider international forum to benefit from experiences of all countries involved.