Rawalpindi, Pakistan, 30 May 2024 (ISPR)

2-day 83rd Formation Commanders Conference concluded today at the General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi presided over by Gen. Syed Asim Munir, NI (M), Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Corps Commanders, Principal Staff Officers, and all Formation Commanders of Pakistan Army participated in the conference.

The forum offered Fatiha and paid tribute to the supreme sacrifices of Shuhadas, including officers and men of the Armed Forces, Law Enforcement Agencies, and citizens of Pakistan who laid their lives for the country's safety, security, and sovereignty.

The forum was briefed on the dynamics of the geo-strategic environment, emerging challenges to national security, and the Army's strategy to counter multi-domain threats. The participants were also briefed on technological innovations to modernize the Army and optimize logistic support to field formations, in line with fast-evolving operational environment.

The forum expressed serious concerns over continued cross-border violations from Afghanistan and terrorism being orchestrated using Afghan soil, noting that Pakistan's adversaries were using Afghanistan to target Security Forces and innocent civilians inside Pakistan. The forum acknowledged the priceless sacrifices of the people of Newly Merged Districts (NMDs) in the war against terrorism and underscored the importance of uplifting the NMDs to decisively defeat terrorism.

The forum also underlined the need for socio-economic development in Balochistan to counter externally propagated narratives of exclusion, exploited by foreign-sponsored proxies to lead Balochistan's youth away from peace and progress.

Reviewing the prevailing situation on the Eastern Border and the latest round of extra-judicial murders in IIOJK, the forum expressed complete solidarity with the Kashmiri people in their just struggle for the inalienable right to self-determination as enshrined in UNSC Resolutions.

The forum showed concern over the treatment of minorities, especially Muslims, in India and noted the growing fascism being perpetrated to achieve vested political ends.

The forum also expressed complete solidarity with the people of Palestine and condemned serious human rights violations and war crimes being perpetrated in Gaza, supporting the International Court of Justice decision to stop Rafah Operation and all other operations within the Gaza Strip.

The forum underscored that politically motivated and vested digital terrorism, unleashed by conspirators duly abetted by their foreign cohorts, against State institutions is clearly meant to try to induce despondency in the Pakistani nation, to sow discord among national institutions, especially the Armed Forces, and the people of Pakistan by peddling blatant lies, fake news, and propaganda. However, the nation is fully cognisant of their ugly and ulterior motives and surely the designs of these nefarious forces will be comprehensively defeated, InshaAllah.

The forum noted that planners, perpetrators, abettors, and facilitators of 9th May need to be brought to justice for the collective good of the country, and that without swift and transparent dispensation of justice to the culprits and establishing the rule of law, stability in the country will ever remain hostage to the machinations of such elements.

The forum resolved to continue to fully support the government's initiatives in various domains for sustainable economic growth and curbing illegal activities, including smuggling, hoarding, electricity theft, implementation of One Document Regime, dignified repatriation of illegal foreigners, and safeguarding of the national database, etc.

The COAS appreciated the high standard of training displayed by formations during various exercises and the excellent performance of officers and troops in counter-terrorism operations. The COAS commended the formations for their high morale and round-the-clock operational readiness. The participants expressed their complete satisfaction with the steps being taken at the Army level for the training, administration, and welfare of serving and retired officers and troops. The forum noted the significant milestone achieved by Pakistan on Youm-e-Takbir and its stabilizing impact on the region.

The Conference concluded by affirming the resolve to neutralize all threats to the security and stability of the country with the full backing of the proud nation.