KARACHI, Dec 26: President Pervez Musharraf has assured the countrymen that “our armed forces are fully prepared and capable of meeting all the challenges.”

He held out this assurance while speaking at the colloquium organized on Quaid-i-Azam’s 125th birth anniversary under the auspices of the national committee for the year of the Quaid on Tuesday.

The president said, “we confront external and internal challenges. But let me assure my countrymen that your armed forces are fully prepared and capable of meeting all challenges by the grace of Allah”.

He said that those “irresponsible” politicians who issued distorted and self-serving statements to cause dissent among the forces had no clue about the unity and discipline that the armed forces enjoyed.

Quaid-i-Azam, he pointed out, was always sensitive to the security and defence of the country. He recalled that the Quaid knew the threat when in reply to a Swiss journalist’s question on March 11, 1948 whether India and Pakistan would come to a peaceful settlement of their vital differences and disputes, the Quaid had replied, ‘yes, provided the Indian government will shed the superiority complex and will deal with Pakistan on an equal footing and fully appreciate the realities’.

The president said that he would like to repeat the same today to India. Pakistan, Gen Musharraf said, had a great future before it. “It is now for us to take the fullest advantage of what nature has so abundantly provided us with and build up a glorious and mighty state”.

The president said that Pakistan had the capacity, strength and resilience — it just awaits us. “Let us unite and make the efforts,” he said and added “I promise I will never let you down, Inshallah”.

He said the government would follow the Quaid’s advice given during the presidential address at a gathering of the Punjab Muslim Students Federation on March 2, 1941.

On that occasion the Quaid had stated, “there are at least three main pillars which go to make a nation worthy of possessing a territory and running a government. One is education. Next, no nation and no people can ever do anything very much without making themselves economically powerful in commerce, trade and industry. And last, you have got to prepare yourselves for your defence — defence against external aggression and to maintain internal security”.

Gen Musharraf pointed out that during the last two years he had seen the hope in the eyes of people and there was the will. “We have turned the corner.”

He called upon the nation to bury all religious and sectarian differences and show tolerance of other beliefs, views and thoughts. “Let us vow to mind our own business and also to actively stop those who profess to be better Muslims than others. Let us always remember that our identity is Pakistan. Pakistan has to come first. Our strength is unity.”

Gen Musharraf lamented that corruption and nepotism had eaten the nation like termites from within and called for rooting out corruption and nepotism. He specially appealed to the rich elite who had enough and can do without more.

“Let society treat the corrupt with contempt so that the fear of God is put into them and they at least hide and feel ashamed instead of showing off their ill-gotten riches,” he said.

The president emphasized that we must restore meritocracy and shun nepotism and let the deserving get the reward. “Let us not equate the horse with the mule or the donkeys. How can we progress or perform well if people with merit are not in the saddle?” he asked.

The president appealed to all government employees to stand up to principles against any wrong by anyone.—APP