KARACHI, DEC 22 (DNA) -:          Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwan has said Pakistan was a peace-loving country and believed in peace within and peace without.

Pakistan in the past, has seen many conflicts both on its eastern and western borders. Wars bring death, destruction and misery for the people.

Ultimately, all issues are resolved on the table through negotiations, that is why we are trying very hard to help bring a lasting peace in Afghanistan by supporting Afghan led and Afghan owned peace plan.

Similarly, our new government has extended a hand of peace and friendship towards India with utmost sincerity but it should not be taken as our weakness, peace benefits everybody. It is time to fight against hunger, disease and illiteracy, then to fight against each other.

He made these remakes during Passing out Parade of 110th Midshipmen and 19th Short Service Course held at Naval Academy, Karachi.

Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, former Naval Chiefs, large number of serving / retired officers and families of passing out officers witnessed the parade.

COAS reviewed the parade and gave away prizes to distinguish performers. The prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Gold Medal was conferred upon Lieutenant Haris Ali Khan PN. Midshipman Tauqeer Hussain was awarded the coveted Sword of Honour for his overall best performance, whereas Midshipman Haroon Khan won the Academy’s Dirk. Officer Cadet Muhammad Talha Masood was awarded Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gold Medal, Officer Cadet Ahmed Mohammed Alamri from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia earned Chief of the Naval Staff Gold Medal and Officer Cadet Ahmed Naveed Malik from SSC Course clinched the Commandant Gold Medal. Proficiency Banner was re-claimed by Forecastle Squadron.

He said it was indeed a great honour for you, to have been chosen to serve your country, and be the defenders of its sea frontiers.

“I am also very happy to see, female cadets participating in today’s parade. It signifies their resolve to excel and compete with men in almost every field”.

Army chief said that he had been told that the Naval Academy is also training cadets from our friendly countries, which include Bahrain, Jordan, Maldives, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

“I am confident that the training, you have received here will not only help you in serving your respective Navies with pride, but will also deepen the enduring friendship between our countries. I see you all, as Pakistan’s goodwill Ambassadors to your respective countries and wish you Godspeed, in your future endeavors”.

He said learning is a continuous process and this is just the beginning, so be mentally ready for much more rigorous training ahead. As defenders of Pakistan’s maritime frontiers, you are expected, not only to live up to its glorious traditions but also set much higher standards for your successors

Furthermore, modern technology has transformed the nature of warfare and has tilted the balance squarely, in favour of those nations that have embraced the change readily.

Army chief said we were yet to get out from terrorism or sabotage phase of an unannounced war against us that the subversion phase has also started.

Like the terrorists before; the protagonists of the new threats are at times, our own people.

Mostly misguided by ambitions, blinded by hate, ethnicity or religion or simply overawed by social media onslaught, some of our own boys and girls readily fall victim to such dangerous or hostile narratives.

‘The response to such onslaughts or threats cannot always be kinetic in nature. You will have to deal with them in cognitive domain by producing or propagating a superior narrative, but this can only happen if you have developed the ability to handle unwarranted criticism with patience and possess better intellectual skills to respond to such threats with logic and reasoning’.

Army chief said our armed forces and law enforcement Agencies have rendered tremendous sacrifices to restore peace and order, paying the ultimate price with their blood.

It is now our duty to honour their sacrifice through display of Unity, Faith and Discipline in everything that we do.

Let us all start the transition from conflict to progress, through commitment to the ideals of Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam. This is the minimum that we can do for our beautiful country, he concluded.=DNA