MULTAN – Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has directed the officers and soldiers to keep themselves fully trained to defeat all types of threats.
During his visit to elite Strike Corps at Multan Garrison on Monday, the day after India started massive deployment of Russian-made battle tanks along its western border with Pakistan, the army chief appreciated troops’ participation from Multan Corps in ongoing counter-terrorism operations in FATA and Kyhber Pakhtunkhwa.
Later, General Bajwa addressed the soldiers and officers of the garrison. He also laid wreath at Yadgar-e Shuhada and offered prayers for the martyrs.
Earlier, on his arrival at Multan, the COAS was briefed by Commander Multan Corps Lieutenant General Sarfraz Sattar on operational preparations and administration of troops.
1 Corps is Pakistan’s elite strike corps which includes 1st Armoured Division (Multan), 14th Infantry Division (Okara), 40th Infantry Division (Okara). Its troops carried out major maneuvers in Operation Zarb-e-Azb against the local and foreign militants in the regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Gen. Bajwa praised the troops for keeping themselves fully trained and prepared to thwart challenges of conventional war. He said that soldiers of Pakistan Army are the best in the world. “Army is what its soldiers are. I am proud to be COAS of a brave and highly professional Army,” Gen. Bajwa was quoted by ISPR as saying.
“Our experience of counter-terrorism operations has made us battle-jardened which is a valued add-on in operational preparedness,” the army chief said.
Soldiers freely interacted with the COAS and expressed their pride and eagerness to selflessly serve the country and the nation.
The army chief’s visit comes a day after reports of Indian army’s deployment of more than 460 main battle tanks along its border with Pakistan.
The T-90 is the main battle tank of the Indian Army, replacing the older variants of T-72 and T-55 tanks in the force.
The Indian army’s plans to deploy the newly ordered Russian T-90MS MBTs along its western and northern borders with Pakistan came in wake of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s threat of a nuclear attack.
This massive tank deployment is being speculated as part of India’s unofficial ‘Cold Start’ strategy against Pakistan.
Pakistan and India share 3323 Km (including Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir sector) of land border. This border runs along the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.
