Amid heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has warned the Taliban regime against its inaction over terrorist proxies using Afghan soil to launch attacks in Pakistan.
Addressing a passing-out parade at Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul in Abbottabad, the army chief urged the people of Afghanistan to choose “mutual peace and security over violence”, saying the country should act decisively against militant proxies operating from its soil for terrorist activities in Pakistan.
Celebrating the country’s decisive victory over India during May’s clashes, the army chief said that Pakistan once again stood victorious, further strengthening public confidence in the competence and capabilities of Pakistan’s armed forces.
He said that the armed forces had neutralised all threats with remarkable professionalism and Pakistan had demonstrated its readiness and will to defend the nation by downing advanced aircraft like Rafales, targeting multiple bases such as S-400.
All of it, the COAS added, showcased the country’s multidomain warfare capabilities.
“Pakistan gained deep respect and admiration from the people of Pakistan and the international community because of the legitimacy and clear victory against a numerically superior adversary. Internally, it has further unified the nation and strengthened its resolve to defend against any threat, whether external or internal. It has reinforced the confidence, particularly among the youth, that the armed forces of Pakistan are an essential element of national power and are trusted with the responsibility to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state,” he said.
The army chief further said that there was no room for war in a nuclearised environment.
“I advise and firmly caution the Indian military leadership that there is no space for war in a nuclearised environment,” he said.
Field Marshal Munir also reiterated the Pakistani leadership’s resolve to reduce every state proxy of our neighbour to dust. “We shall never bow against a handful of misguided terrorists having a purported interpretation of Islam.”
The army chief’s statements come a day after the extension of a temporary truce between Pakistan and Afghanistan, following days of fierce fighting that left dozens dead and hundreds wounded. The confrontation began as the Afghan foreign minister was on an official visit to India, releasing questionable joint statements over which the Pakistani Foreign Office expressed “strong reservations”.