Won’t let stability be compromised at any cost: COAS

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Wednesday that the Special Services Group (SSG) was the Army’s pride and that the armed forces had brought stability by failing all inimical forces operating against the country, Geo News reported.

The Army chief visited the SSG headquarters where he spoke to soldiers. “We have brought stability by failing all inimical forces operating against Pakistan. We shall never let it go away at any cost. SSG is our pride with myriad contributions towards defence of country through its valiant officers & soldiers since creation of Pakistan,” Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor quoted the Army chief as saying.

The statement from General Bajwa comes a day after the Supreme Court handed a death penalty to former Army chief General (retd) Pervez Musharraf for imposing a state of emergency on November 3, 2007 and abrogating the Constitution. Musharraf, 76, is currently in Dubai where he is seeking treatment of multiple diseases.

The Pakistan Army reacted to the decision by saying that it was in “a lot of pain and anguish” over Musharraf’s conviction. “An ex-army chief, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and President of Pakistan, who has served the country for over 40 years, fought wars for the defence of the country can surely never be a traitor,” the military’s public relations wing said in a statement.