ISLAMABAD: Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa on Wednesday emphasised the need for urgent international humanitarian assistance for Afghan­istan for the region’s stability.

“Continuous support and timely international humanitarian assistance are imperative for not only peace and prosperity of Afghanistan but also for stability of the region at large,” Gen Bajwa said at a corps commanders conference at the General Headquarters.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the commanders reviewed global, regional and domestic security milieu.

Gen Bajwa’s call for aid for Afghanistan comes ahead of the 17th extraordinary session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, which Pakistan is hosting on December 19. The session has been convened to discuss the aggravating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and offer assistance.

The army chief, while speaking about the security measures at the borders, called for maintaining high vigil to guard against any threat.

He emphasised the need for sn “objective evaluation” of doctrine and training to meet emerging challenges in a technology-driven future battlefield.

The commanders, while commenting on the Sialkot incident of lynching of a Sri Lankan national on allegations of blasphemy, “unequivocally affirmed zero tolerance for such elements” for eradicating extremism and terrorism from the country, the ISPR said.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2021