Chief of Army Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that regional peace and stability as well as the resolution of bilateral issues is of utmost importance, as the current status quo will prove to be ‘devastating’ for everyone.
He made these remarks during his address at the passing-out ceremony of the 146th Long Course at Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul, warning the audience that the “world had changed, and so must we, as the price of status quo will be devastating for all of us”.
“We must give peace a chance by developing a mechanism to resolve all our bilateral issues peacefully. Moreover, as opposed to fighting each other, we should collectively fight hunger, poverty, illiteracy, population explosion, climate change and disease,” he said.
The Army Chief stressed that people of South Asia also deserve prosperity and better living conditions. “This can only happen with sustained economic growth, development and above all lasting peace, therefore we must try hard to keep flames of war away from the region,” he said.
He also cautioned that Pakistan’s desire for peace should not be construed as its weakness, as ‘we have paid both in blood and kind to safeguard the country’s sovereignty and integrity’.
Gen Bajwa advised the cadets to always remain focused on their job and never get distracted by fake news and political wrangling in the country. He also advised them to respect the democratic institutions and to always be ready to defend the territorial integrity, sovereignty and Constitution of Pakistan with their life.
