KARACHI, July 9: Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Ehsanul Haq, has said that the desire for peace must not be misconstrued as a sign of weakness. He was addressing the 83rd Midshipmen Commissioning Parade held at Pakistan Naval Academy, PNS Rahbar, on Saturday. He said, “We want peace with all our neighbours and it is reflective of our increasing confidence to effectively safeguard our national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The preparedness of our defence capability is a manifestation of this national resolve,” he said.

General Ehsan said that the unprecedented peace initiatives with India would indeed contribute to the much desired stability in South Asia and resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

He said, “We must recognize that we will have to fend for ourselves on our own strength for which we need to build on our indigenous capability and pursue it with more vigour than before. The construction of Agosta submarines, the recent deal for purchase of F-22 Frigates from China, production of Al-Khalid Tank and JF-17 Thunder Aircraft would definitely strengthen our forces,” he added.

He advised the newly commissioned officers that they must not lose sight of their ideological frontiers. He said that learning was a continuous process and even after such quality training, there was much more to learn about the profession.

Earlier in his welcome address, Commandant Pakistan Naval Academy Commodore Zafar Mahmood Abbasi shed light on the salient features of the training. He apprised the audience that a total of 43 midshipmen were being commissioned as Acting Sub-Lieutenants.

Later, the passing out batch took oath and the chief guest awarded the cadets, who displayed outstanding performance in the course.

Midshipman Shakeel Ahmad was awarded Sword of Honour for the best overall performance while Midshipman Mobinul Haq received the Academy Dirk. Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gold Medal was awarded to Cadet Asif Raza.

The ceremony was attended by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Shahid Karimullah, senior naval officers, and parents of graduating officers. —APP