No group will be allowed to 'blackmail' state: COAS

Karachi: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Monday that armed forces had all required capabilities to fight all external and internal threats, and traditional and non-traditional wars.

"If any enemy wants to fight us, it will find us ready at every moment and on every front," he said while addressing a Defence Day ceremony held at the General Headquarters.

General Bajwa stressed that everyone should be aware of the reality that "there is no more room for any kind of extremism or violence on this land," and that no individual or group aside from the armed forces and law-enforcement agencies would be allowed to display weapons or use them.

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Moreover, "no individual or group will be allowed to blackmail the state on the basis of area, ethnicity, ideology or religion," he said. The army chief called upon the nation to work towards making Pakistan "progressive, peaceful and a modern Islamic and welfare state".

"Pakistan's strength and preservation are in democracy. To make it more stable, we will have to follow the principles of following the Constitution, justice, tolerance and equality," he said, adding that "negative attitudes like criticism for the sake of criticism, hatred and intolerance" should be discouraged.

Expressing solidarity with the war-weary people of Afghanistan, General Bajwa said Pakistan's desire was to see the Afghan leadership "settle everything through discussion" and provide peace and happiness for their people.

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"We also expect a stable and inclusive government to be formed in Afghanistan, human rights including women rights respected, [and] Afghan land not to be used against [any country]," he added, saying Pakistan also expected that the world would not leave the Afghan nation alone in this difficult time.

On regional situation, the army chief said the armed forces were keeping a keen eye on developments in Afghanistan, where he said the situation provided an opportunity to establish peace and stability but at the same time it could also prove to be an indication of further difficulties and threats.

"We are desirous of the protection and progress of our Afghan neighbours and expect that the big powers of the region and the world, including the UN, will play a positive role for establishing peace in Afghanistan," he emphasised.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021