–Gen Bajwa visits troops at Working Boundary, lauds ‘high morale and readiness’
–Air chief says PAF will defend country at all costs on his visit to PAF air bases
RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited troops along the Working Boundary near Sialkot on Sunday and appreciated their state of high morale and readiness.
According to ISPR, interacting with troops, the army chief said that there is nothing more sacred than defending the motherland.
He said, “I take pride in leading an army which is ever ready to perform this duty.”
This was the second time the army chief visited troops stationed along the Indian border.
On Friday, he had paid a visit to the Line of Control (LoC) to review the state of preparedness and lauded the high morale of the troops.
Addressing the troops, he said that any aggression or misadventure shall be paid back in the same coin.
“COAS visited Line of Control. Reviewed state of preparedness. Lauded high morale of troops. “Pakistan is a peace loving country but we will not be intimidated or coerced. Any aggression or misadventure shall be paid back in same coin,” said ISPR.
‘PAF TO DEFEND AERIAL FRONTIERS’:
Separately, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan visited the forward operating air bases of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) on Sunday.
Interacting with the combat crew, the air chief said, “We are a peace-loving nation but if the war is imposed on us, we would defend the aerial frontiers of our motherland at any cost.”
“PAF alongside other defence forces is ever ready to take on all kinds of challenges with operational preparedness and immaculate synergy,” he added.
He further said, “PAF would thwart any misadventure by the enemy and is ready to respond with full force as per the aspirations of the nation.”
The air chief showed satisfaction over the operational preparedness of bases and also lauded the high morale of the combat crew.
PULWAMA ATTACK:
India has been demanding action against militants that Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged are from Pakistan and its premier under pressure from his Hindu nationalist base to show firmness weeks before he is set to call elections.
Pakistani premier Imran Khan in response urged the Indian government to refrain from baseless accusations, seeking “actionable evidence” so that his government could act in this regard. And a few days later, Pakistan Army warned India against any “misadventure,” saying it was capable of responding.
The US in recent years has allied with India, seeing common interests with a fellow democracy that has been battling extremists.
The Trump administration last year cut off $300 million in military aid to Pakistan, saying that Islamabad has not done enough to fight extremists at home or close safe havens for militants in neighbouring Afghanistan.
“Pakistan was taking very strong advantage of the United States under other presidents,” Trump said. “I ended that payment because they weren’t helping us in a way that they should have.”
Trump also said the United States has developed a “much better” relationship recently with Pakistan, which has long been at odds with the US over the war in Afghanistan.
Trump noted that relations had improved over the “last short period of time” and added that the US may set up some meetings with Pakistan.