Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday termed peace and prosperity in Balochistan as "the bedrock of Pakistan’s progress", saying security forces would remain steadfast to defeat elements against the province's stability.

He made the remarks while interacting with the participants of the 7th National Workshop Balochistan held at the General Headquarters, the military's media wing said in a statement.

Attended by a large number of parliamentarians, bureaucrats, members of civil society, youth, academia and media representatives, the workshop is aimed at "enabling future leadership of Balochistan in understanding vital national/provincial issues and mounting cohesive response", according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

"Balochistan’s peace and prosperity is the bedrock of Pakistan’s progress," Gen Bajwa said on the occasion, adding that it was time to reap the dividends of hard-earned peace and expedite socio-economic development by adopting a people-centric approach for achieving enduring stability.

"Security forces shall remain steadfast and determined to defeat enemies of peace and prosperity of Balochistan [and] Pakistan," the chief of army staff emphasised.

Speaking about internal and external challenges, Gen Bajwa said that a full-spectrum threat demanded a "comprehensive national response".

He said Balochistan was in "sharp focus" of the national leadership, while the Army was fully engaged in enabling a national and provincial response in synergy with other state institutions.

"We are a resilient nation that has endured the tests of time on its path to achieving peace and stability," the COAS added.