Whether it is Modi, RAW or anyone else, we understand enemy tricks: COAS

GILGIT: The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Raheel Sharif, on Thursday said the Pakistan Army fully understands the tricks of Narendra Modi and would go to any extent for ensuring security of the country.

“I can say with complete faith that we are moving in the right direction. We will leave no stone unturned to ensure security of the country,” the COAS said while addressing the concluding session of a two-day seminar on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project here.

“We want to assure the nation that the country and its frontiers are totally safe. Whether it is Modi or RAW or anybody else, we fully understand tricks of the enemy,” he said. General Raheel said terrorism was a very big challenge and Pakistan was the only country which overcame it.

“Many other countries, including the Arab world, were badly affected by terrorism and they could not recover from it,” he said. He said the way the turmoil of terrorism was controlled, it could not be done anywhere in the world. “The way our forces took up the challenge, was exemplary,” he said.

General Raheel told the audience about the progress made during the Operation Zarb-e-Azb. “Whatever the world thinks, this is a war of our survival and we will fight it like this,” he said. He added that the security of CPEC project would be ensured at all costs.

He said there was no doubt that nobody was more hardworking than the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. Referring to his recent visit to China, General Raheel said the Chinese leadership wanted progress of Gilgit-Baltistan similar to that in China’s city of Urumqi and other regions.

“I was impressed to see the progress of Urumqi in a short span of time. I have no doubt that we can make that kind of progress in our region too,” he said. The army chief said that a security division had been established in the north for the protection of CPEC project and the same kind of division would also be set up in the south.

This task, he said, was made from the efforts and commitment of the government. “Our commitment towards the completion of the CPEC is visible,” he added. While mentioning sacrifices during the operation Zarb-e-Azb, he said the evil nexus perpetuating terrorism had to be broken.

“We have to take action against crimes of corruption and facilitators and financiers of terrorism,” the army chief said. He said 22,000 civilians and 5,000 law enforcement personnel including police, Rangers and FC Jawans lost their lives in acts of terrorism and 48,000 received crippling injuries.

The army chief said he was fully confident that the youth would carry forward the mission of peace and prosperity. He said the way the youth welcomed him, he wants to tell them that the Pakistan Army is their army.

“Army is working for the well-being of the nation,” he said and urged youth to never compromise on dignity and honour as they have a lot of potential to take this region forward. General Raheel announced start of work on a technical institute which will have capacity to train 350 students and in future up to 800 students.

“A modern medical city will also be established for providing health facilities to patients including cardiac patients besides provision of medical educational facility,” he said. The COAS said a campus of National University of Science and Technology (NUST) would also be established in Gilgit while uplift of Jaglot-Skardu Road would also be undertaken.

Later, he interacted with the youth of Karakoram International University.  Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, members of the special committee on CPEC and parliamentarians attended the seminar organised by the government of Gilgit-Baltistan and Karakoram International University jointly.