No compromise on sovereignty, security: President Arif Alvi

ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi on Sunday expressed the resolve that the nation will never compromise on the sovereignty and security of the country and sternly deal with any kind of misadventure by the enemy.

In his September 6 message, the president said the nation had successfully defeated terrorism and extremism and now it was on the path to economic prosperity. “We have also made serious efforts with a positive approach towards securing peace in the region, but unfortunately our enemy keeps hostile designs against us. We reaffirm our pledge that we will continue to support the people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) in their struggle until realisation of their right to self-determination.”

Meanwhile, Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa Sunday called on President Dr Arif Alvi at the Aiwan-i-Sadr. During the meeting, the two discussed matters of mutual interest. Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi on Sunday conferred national military awards on 70 officers and soldiers of armed forces in recognition of their meritorious servicesand valor they had shown to safeguard the national frontiers.

In a special investiture ceremony held at the Aiwan-i-Sadr, the president conferred awards in four categories including Sitara-i-Jurat, Sitara-i-Bisalat, Tamgha-i-Jurat and Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military).

The ceremony was traditionally scheduled on March 23, 2020, but it had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even this time too, due to the social distancing measures, it was bifurcated into a two-day event for conferment of military and civil awards respectively with all the participants wearing facemasks as per anti-COVID SOPs.

Besides the recipients of awards, the ceremony was also attended by members of the federal cabinet, services chiefs, family members of the recipients also including of those who martyred in different operations to purge the country of terrorists.

The president conferred Sitara-i-Jurat on Wing Commander Noman Ali Khan, who shot down an Indian aircraft that attempted to invade Pakistan’s airspace on February 27, 2019. Air Vice Marshal Zafar Aslam and Group Captain Rana Ilyas Hassan were decorated with Sitara-i-Bisalat.