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Published 04 Nov, 2019 11:32pm

Pakistan Army vows to continue supporting national institutions

The military's top brass on Monday expressed the resolve to continue supporting national institutions "as and when asked".

The resolve was conveyed during a Corps Commanders Conference presided over by Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa at GHQ today.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement that the meeting reviewed the "geo-strategic and national security environment". Among the subjects of discussion were internal security, the situation along the eastern border and Line of Control and Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

"Pakistan Army as [an] organ of the state will continue to support national institutions as and when asked as per [the] Constitution," the press release quoted the army chief as saying.

Gen Bajwa added that while the Pakistan Armed Forces with the support of national institutions and the nation are "fully prepared and committed to thwart all threats" including on the eastern border and LoC, "continued cohesion of all national stakeholders on key national issues is essential to defeat inimical forces".

The commanders during the meeting expressed their firm resolve to defend the country against the full spectrum of threat.

“We have attained better internal security and stability through cohesive national efforts and sacrifices rendered by Pakistan Armed Forces, all national institutions and above all, the nation. We shall not let it reverse to suit any vested agenda at any cost," the army chief said.

The military's statement comes days after opposition leaders, including JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, alleged during the ongoing Azadi March that the ruling PTI has undue support from "institutions".

This had led Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor, the ISPR director general, to question on national TV which 'institution' the opposition had been referring to in their speeches.

In response, Rehman had said that the DG ISPR "should not involve himself in politics".

"When we don't want a clash with institutions why has the DG ISPR tried to push the institution of army towards a clash with the people?" the JUI-F chief had said while talking to media.

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