COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has assured the nation that the Army is well-prepared to face any conventional or unconventional threat and was ready to perform its duty at every moment on every front. He pointed out that Pakistan Army has always succeeded in defending the country because it enjoyed the support of the people. The Army, he said, was equally ready to fight internal threats. Further, nobody would be allowed to blackmail the state on regional and linguistic basis. Parochialism, however, is no more a significant challenge after the passage of the 18th Amendment. It can raise its head only if attempts being made to repeal the Amendment succeed. Presently the real internal threat comes from terrorist groups like the IS and TTP. Despite the victory of Taliban leading to the unraveling of the RAW-NDS nexus in Afghanistan, both terrorist groups continue to pose a serious threat. After the Quetta killings last week, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has issued a warning to national media to refrain from calling it a “terrorist outfit” or be prepared to be treated as enemies. It is equally important for those in power not to encourage or use extremist networks like the TTP for short term political gains. There is a need instead to urgently implement the National Action Plan.
General Bajwa has clarified that Pakistan’s strength and preservation lies in democracy. To make democracy more stable, according to General Bajwa, we will have to follow the principles enunciated in the Constitution that include justice, tolerance and equality. The Army Chief has called upon the nation to work hard to turn Pakistan into a progressive, peaceful and modern Islamic and welfare state as conceived by the Founding Father. It is equally crucial to ensure that no institution transgresses the role allotted to it by the Constitution.
The media is well aware of the unfounded Indian propaganda against Pakistan, the latest example being the sharing of a picture on Twitter of a fighter jet falsely described as a Pakistan Air Force jet downed in Panjshir. Fact checking by independent Pakistani papers and journalists nailed the canard within hours. A media which is independent and thus enjoys more national and international credibility can better counter the enemy propaganda than a docile media.
