ISLAMABAD: Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday again vowed to foil the designs of internal and external enemies of Pakistan for ensuring peace and stability in the country.

Gen Bajwa, while chairing the 243rd Corps Commanders Conference at the General Headquarters, said: “The designs of external and internal forces inimical to peace and stability in Pakistan shall be thwarted at all costs.”

The army chief had also spoken about the plots against the country in his Defence Day speech at the GHQ on Sept 6. He had then said that while the armed forces were fully aware of the designs and machinations of the ‘external enemy’, there was a need to sternly deal with the ‘internal element’ spreading disunity.

At the corps commanders meeting, the army chief called for maintaining “complete readiness” to deal with both the conventional and non-conventional threats.

The conventional threat has always been there, but the newer non-conventional threats are worrying the security forces more, particularly the hybrid war that has been imposed on the country.

Gen Bajwa had in his Defense Day speech said that the character of war has changed and the enemy now assaults the unity of people, ideological frontiers and national morale through use of technology and means of communications for the attainment of its sinister designs.

The commanders, meanwhile, discussed at length the situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of Kabul last month, and the steps taken by the Pakistan government for saving the country from the spillover of crisis in the neighbouring country and the help extended to the international community in evacuating their nationals from Afghanistan.

The Inter-Services Public Relations said the commanders were briefed on the “effective safeguards” that have been put in place against various threats emerging from the developments in Afghanistan. The army chief, the ISPR said, “expressed satisfaction” over the effectiveness of the comprehensive border management regime.

Pakistan has fenced most of the 2600km-long border with Afghanistan and set up forts and patrolling posts along the border to prevent unauthorised cross-border movement. Similarly, improved controls have been put in place at the border crossing points.

The border management system, Gen Bajwa said, kept “Pakistan’s borders and internal security intact amid a crisis situation in the region”.

“COAS appreciated army’s support and role towards the overall evacuation and transit-related effort undertaken in support of evacuation of foreign and Afghan populace from Afghanistan to other countries,” the ISPR said.

Pakistan had facilitated evacuation of about 12,000 people belonging to 38 different countries from Kabul after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

The ISPR said the army chief reiterated Pakistan’s firm commitment to peace and emphasised that constructive engagement and sustained humanitarian support for Afghanistan by the international community was imperative for enduring peace and stability. “Close cooperation amongst all regional stakeholders is essential for a prosperous and peaceful region,” he stressed.

The commanders paid homage to Syed Ali Shah Geelani for his lifelong struggle and sacrifices as leader of the indigenous freedom movement in occupied Kashmir and expressed solidarity with the Kashmiri people who continue facing Indian state oppression and violence.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2021