RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: Pakistan army has said that war is not solution of any problem but our desire for peace should not be construed as our weakness.
While briefing media representatives in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, the Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor said that Pakistan is fully prepared and capable of responding effectively to any misadventure by India.
“Pakistan is ready to face any aggression,” the DG ISPR said while referring to the India’s cold start doctrine and its acknowledgement by the Indian Army Chief.
The director general ISPR said that Pakistan wants peaceful resolution of all disputes with India including Jammu and Kashmir but would not compromise on its dignity and honour. He said that recent successful testing of Babar-3 and Ababeel missiles is reflective of Pakistan’s resolve to defend itself.
The DG ISPR said that India carried out 945 ceasefire violations on Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary (WB) during the last three years. In the last four months alone, he said, India resorted to 314 violations resulting into martyrdom of 46 civilians. He said that 40 Indian troops were also killed in befitting response by Pakistan.
Major General Asif Ghafoor said that Indian violations and drama of surgical strike were part of the well thought out plan to divert attention from brutalities against people in Occupied Kashmir.
Furthermore, he said that the national security depends on a number of factors including bravery, patriotism and professionalism of the armed forces as well as national solidarity and a strong democratic system. He said that every citizen of the country has a responsibility to play in the national interest. However, he added that some elements resort to speculations on sensitive issues to hurt the harmony amongst the national institutions.
The director general ISPR emphasized the need for strong relationship amongst the state institutions in order to take forward the country on the path of development. He said that the entire nation stands by the state institutions to fight the menace of terrorism.
Turning to the situation in Afghanistan, the DG ISPR emphatically said that Pakistan is not involved in acts of terror in Afghanistan. He said that the world itself accepts the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in the war on terror.
Major general Asif Ghafoor said that sanctuaries of terrorists have been eliminated in Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA). He said that most of the terrorists were killed in the operation while the remaining managed to take refuge in Afghanistan due to non-presence of troops on the other side of the border. He said that leadership of outlawed outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is hiding in Afghanistan.
The DG ISPR said that it is the stated policy of Pakistan that it will never allow the use of its territory to be used against any other country.
The director general ISPR said that Afghanistan should take steps for improving management of its borders.
“Pakistan desires peace and stability in Afghanistan,” he said. “We support an Afghan owned and Afghan led reconciliation process for peace in the country.”
