Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has said Pakistan "owes [its] peace and stability to the selfless devotion and sacrifices" of its martyrs.

He made the comment during an investiture ceremony held at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday.

Terming the martyrs the real heroes of the country, the army chief said, "there is no cause more noble than laying one's life for defence of motherland and sacrifices of our martyrs won't go [to] waste."

Gen Bajwa conferred awards on army personnel for their acts of bravery during operations and meritorious services rendered to the nation, the ISPR statement said.

Senior army officers, families of those receiving awards, as well as martyrs' families attended the ceremony, it said.

According to the statement, 47 officers were awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz, while six officers, seven junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and 12 soldiers were awarded Tamgha-i-Basalat.

Medals that were awarded to martyrs were received by their families, it further stated.

Exercise with Chinese troops concludes

Meanwhile, the closing ceremony of the two-week-long Joint Anti-Terro­rist Exercise 2021 was held on Monday at the National Co­unter Terrorism Centre, Pabbi, where the troops from China and Pakistani armed forces took part in the drill.

It was the first military exercise conducted in Pakis­tan under the ambit of the Sha­n­ghai Cooperation Organi­sation's Regional Anti Terrorism Structure, said a press release issued by the ISPR.

The exercise focused on enhancing cooperation and cohesiveness in combating international terrorism.

The Chinese and Pakistani troops participated in the exercise and shared their experiences of capacity building and innovative approaches and methods on emerging technologies being used to counter the evolving threats.