ISLAMABAD: Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Nadeem Raza on Thursday underscored the role of the Joint Staff Headquarters (JSHQ) in the country’s defence and safeguarding national security and expressed satisfaction over the ‘jointness’ among the three armed services.

Gen Raza, while chairing a meeting of the three services chiefs — Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Amjad Khan Niazi, and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu — said: “The JSHQ is functioning with a national perspective that seeks to preserve, protect and promote Pakistan’s Defence and National security,” according to ISPR.

A media statement issued by the public affairs division of the armed forces further said: “Chairman JCSC applauded the jointness of the Pakistan armed forces in meeting all defence and security challenges faced by the country.”

The meeting was held to deliberate on the defence and security environment. It appeared to be a shorter version of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee meeting, which otherwise is the regular format.

“The participants discussed a range of security-related issues, including fast-paced developments in the realm of strategic and conventional policies, the importance of peace in Afghanistan for sustainable development in the region, the shared challenges faced, work plan of the Tri-Services and operational preparedness of the Armed Forces,” the ISPR said.

The services chiefs, it said, expressed complete satisfaction and full confidence in readiness of the defence forces.

The participants also reaffirmed the resolve of the armed forces to respond to the entire spectrum of threat in the most befitting manner in line with a comprehensive security strategy, it added.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2021