New Delhi: Pakistan’s Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir reportedly said that his country will respond with “full military might” if its sovereignty or territorial integrity is threatened. His comments come as tensions between India and Pakistan continue to mount in the wake of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
General Asim Munir was speaking at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi during an interaction with participants of the 15th National Workshop Balochistan. He said Pakistan wants regional peace but will not hesitate to defend itself, according to a report by GEO TV.
General Munir was quoted as saying by GEO TV: “Pakistan seeks peace in the region and beyond; however, if Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are violated, Pakistan will respond with full force to preserve its national prestige and the well-being of its people.”
After the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan had claimed that it had “credible intelligence” that India was preparing for military strike. Last Tuesday, Pakistan’s information minister Attatullah Tarar said, “”Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends carrying out military action against Pakistan in the next 24-36 hours on the pretext of baseless and concocted allegations of involvement in the Pahalgam incident.”
India has alleged that Pakistan was giving support to “cross-border terrorism” and therefore, it downgraded diplomatic ties, suspended Indus Waters treaty and closed the main land border crossing with Pakistan.
Army Chief takes up Balochistan issue
During his speech, the Army chief addressed internal security and development issues in Balochistan, a region where Pakistan has faced a longstanding insurgency and foreign-backed terrorism, GEO TV reported.
General Munir underlined: “Terrorist groups that perpetrate terror in the name of Baloch identity to advance their petty insidious agenda are a blemish on Baloch honour and patriotism.”
