Army will defend every inch of Pakistan: Gen Raheel

Published September 23, 2016
General Raheel Sharif meets officers and participants during his visit to National Counter Terrorism Centre located near Kharian. —APP
General Raheel Sharif meets officers and participants during his visit to National Counter Terrorism Centre located near Kharian. —APP

KHARIAN: Chief of Army Staff Gen Raheel Sharif on Friday said the Army will defend "each and every inch" of Pakistan "no matter what the cost", an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said.

The Army chief, addressing officers at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre near Kharian, said that Pakistan's armed forces "have the capability to counter the complete threat spectrum".

Gen Raheel said that Pakistan had, despite being a victim of terrorism for over a decade, been able to turn the tide against terrorism due to the nation's resilience and the professionalism of its security forces.

The COAS on his visit to the NCTC inaugurated state-of-the-art upgradations to the centre's infrastructure allowing it accommodate the growing demand of foreign armies and Pakistan's own law enforcement agencies to train alongside the Pakistan Army.

The addition of the new facilities have made the NCTC one of the best counter-terrorism training facilities among contemporary armies, ISPR claims.

So far, 231,000 troops of the armed forces, 3,483 police officers and civil armed forces men have been trained at the NCTC, Lt Gen Umar Farooq Durrani, Commander of the Strike Corps, briefed the army chief.

He added that five joint exercises have been conducted at the centre with China, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Turkey.

The Army chief's strongly-worded statement comes at a time when regional tensions are soaring as Pakistan and India face off at the 71st United Nations General Assembly in New York over the Kashmir issue.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his address to the UN maintained that Pakistan wants peace with India but it is "not possible without resolving the Kashmir issue". The premier urged the UN to demilitarise Jammu and Kashmir and called for steps to implement UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir.

India, exercising its Right of Reply, levelled serious allegations against Pakistan in its rebuttal, terming it a 'terrorist state'.

Read more: We see Pakistan as 'a terrorist state': India replies to Nawaz's UNGA address

Opinion

Editorial

Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...
Islamabad protest
Updated 20 Nov, 2024

Islamabad protest

As Nov 24 draws nearer, both the PTI and the Islamabad administration must remain wary and keep within the limits of reason and the law.
PIA uncertainty
20 Nov, 2024

PIA uncertainty

THE failed attempt to privatise the national flag carrier late last month has led to a fierce debate around the...
T20 disappointment
20 Nov, 2024

T20 disappointment

AFTER experiencing the historic high of the One-day International series triumph against Australia, Pakistan came...