Passing out parade of 128 PMA Long Course

General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, chief of army staff reviewing passing out parade at PMA kakul on saturday 12 October 2013

KAKUL (Abbottabad), Oct 12: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said on Saturday that the army fully supported the dialogue process initiated by the national leadership to tackle the menace of terrorism. Addressing the passing out parade of 128th Long Course here at the Pakistan Military Academy, he said that terrorism was a big challenge, and the national leadership and the nation had to decide ways and means of the dialogue process, which were becoming more clear with the process moving ahead. The army chief said that it was imperative that the dialogue process should forge unity among the nation instead of creating any division and it must be within the constitutional parameters. He said that the impression that the course of dialogue had been adopted after the failure of military operations, was totally wrong. The Pakistan Army has given matchless sacrifices in the war against terrorism and achieved major successes against the menace, he added. General Kayani said that the use of power would be the last resort. “If needed, the army is fully prepared for its effective use. There is no confusion among the army to understand and play its role in both the situations.” Pakistan, he said, was passing through a critical and difficult phase and the military leadership must play its role for strengthening of the democratic system. The entire nation has to play its role for the resolution of the country’s problems, he added. Terming terrorism a big challenge for the nation, he said it was not only contrary to the country’s ideology but also the teachings of Islam. Gen Kayani said that the Pakistan Army had played its role against terrorism in a very difficult situation. “We should rememberthose days when armed groups were just 100 kilometers away from Islamabad. When men and women were being slaughtered in the Bazaars and the Green Chowk of Mingora was called as a “Khooni Chowk”. Roads were deserted while business, houses, economy went into the hands of criminals.” In these situations, the efforts and sacrifices rendered by the Pakistan Army have no parallel in the present war history, he added. Quoting the example of Swat to understand the reality, he said that more than two million people were made homeless but the army took them back to their houses. “We purged Swat of the militants through a swift and effective military operation and two million people returned to their homes in four months. Today there is complete peace in Swat and the people of Swat are witness to this reality,” he added.The army chief said that due to lack of coordination among institutions, the state system could not be evolved properly. Due to economic imbalance, the rich became richer and the poor poorer while weak governance system and intolerance agravated the situation further, he added. “We should accept that neither any particular person nor any segment of the society has a remedy for the problems. We should also accept that these problems cannot be resolved in a few months or years.” He said that the entire nation would have to play its due role while the national leadership would have to show it the right direction. “We will have to stick to this path.” This can only be made possible if there is harmony among different state organs, he said and added that the country had already suffered and could not suffer more. Gen Kayani stressed the need of further improving civil and military relations. He said it was imperative for the military leadership to continue working for strengthening the democratic system in the country. For the purpose, more confidence among the state institutions was needed. “This process has started and it should continue in future,” he added. He pointed out that the confidence and relations among state institutions anywhere in the world were not exemplary. He said that some mistakes were committed during the process of governing system’s evolution elsewhere in the world and same was the case in Pakistan also. But the society has a key role to correct these mistakes through constructive criticism, he added. “If there is an insult in the criticism, the institutions instead of taking corrective measures, involve in fighting and become weak or stop performing. Therefore, there should be a positive criticism,” he said. Pakistan, he said, would develop when its institutions would become strong. He was happy that the society not only understood that but had also made good progress during the last few years in that regard. He said learning lessons from past mistakes was a must for bright future. “But totally ignoring successes makes the people despair. We should not forget that we had struggled for the country’s development against all odds and mistakes,” he added. General Kayani said the efforts culminated in the present democratic system, which was the central point of the Constitution made with a national consensus. He said all the political parties had accepted the results of 2008 general election. For the first time in the country’s history, a democratic government completed its term and transferred the power to the new elected one. He said after 1970 election, the people in large numbers voted in the 2013 general election. “Now there are elected governments at the Center and in the provinces. We are now standing with democratic nations.” He said the armed forces also fulfilled their constitutional obligations.It was difficult to maintain law and order during the elections. But the Pakistan Army along with other institutions was able to create a conducive atmosphere for polls. During the last two elections, a foundation for a democratic Pakistan has been laid and now the present and coming generations should build a building over it, he added. He said,”Now we have left behind a bitter past when the nation had to undergo various experiences. Today the nation’s fate and destiny is in the hands of its own leadership. This success is a proper reply to those, who are spreading rumours about the country’s future.” He said that Pakistan’s ideology was based on democracy. The elements, who were busy in working against the deology, should understand that the country’s future was linked with democracy. On the basis of that ideology, Pakistan’s creation was a history. It came into being in the name of Islam, which reflected the best democratic thoughts, he added. He said that the Founder of Pakistan while addressing the Constituent Assembly, had set the direction for the countrymen. “All the people enjoy equal rights in an Islamic welfare state. Any negative approach, which hampers basic democratic rights, has no place in our national life. People’s welfare, tolerance, and acceptance of the Constitution can make the democratic system a complete success,” he added. Citing examples of success in the war against terrorism, the army chief said that besides Swat, South Waziristan, Aurakzai, Muhmand, Bajaur, Dir and recently Tirah valley were freed from the terrorists and extremists. “We are proud of restoring the writ of state over 37,000 square kilometer area. The successes were achieved through the blood of thousands of Shuhada and Ghazis and creating confusion in this regard will be a disrespect to them. It is not difficult to gauge that what will have been happening today without these successes,” he added. “Had we not been able to take benefit of these successes fully, then we should not at least repeat these mistakes in future,” he added. He said that there was no price for sacrificing a life and no one was demanding the same. “But we are much ahead of those respectable societies, which give respect to those, who lay down their lives for the country.” That was why, Pakistani officers and soldiers did not undergo any stress despite passing through a very difficult situation. They were performing the sacred duty for the country’s defence without any pressure, he added. He said that in the developed countries, the soldiers after returning from the battlefield, suffered from mental stress and had a tendency of committing suicide. There was not even a single example cited in case of Pakistan Army. Pakistan, he said, was passing through a difficult and critical phase. “Nations have to undergo such situations, but those, who accept them as a challenge, become stronger ones.” He admitted that mistakes had been committed. But at the same time certainly some good things had also been done and because of which Pakistan was a sovereign and strong country today, he added. General Kayani said that with one university and a few colleges in 1947, the literacy rate in the country was around 12 per cent. Likewise in the industrial field, there were 34 factories while the per capita income was less than 100 dollars at that time. He said that there were no state organizations and the Pakistan Army consisted of mere few thousand personnel. Tanks could have been counted at fingers. The Air Force and the Navy were also facing similar situation. He said Pakistan made the beginning with a weak financial, industrial and educational system and due to that reason, several critics had thought maintaining independence would be difficult for the new country. But hats off to the nation, who faced every difficulty and made the country a success story, he added. He said after passage of 66 years, today Pakistan was the sixth most populated country and the fourth one having the most agriculture and livestock production. There are now factories and industries set up throughout the country, he added. “Today we have 186 universities and thousands of colleges while our per capita income is over 1300 dollars. We are the seventh largest army and the only nuclear power in the Muslim world,” he added. “We would have been in a better position, had we not committed mistakes. We have forgotten the golden principles of the Father of Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah i,e., Unity, Faith and Discipline. We did not prefer the welfare of the masses. As a result, the dream of Pakistan being a welfare state has not been fully materialized.”Gen Kayani chief said that the army had achieved all its successes in its limited sources. Despite a jugglery of the figures, the allocations for armed forces were 18 per cent of the national budget “We understand that the real national security lies in prosperous and confident people. Pakistan will only be safe against foreign aggression when the entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with army men.” It will only be possible when the country’s economy is strong as internally weak nations cannot meet the external challenges, he added. “Our defence ideology is based on prosperous people and the best military capability. Today, the army is a symbol of the country’s integrity and solidarity. Pakistan is our destiny and we will leave no stone unturned to make it more developed and prosperous.” He said that the Pakistan Military Academy had a special place among the world’s military academies. The army chief said that he was standing at a place from where he started his journey in 1969. “And what I have achieved during 44 years is bestowed upon me by the country.” “After getting close to the end of long journey, I can say that the country’s sovereignty is a guarantee of our development and that of of the coming generations. From today, you (cadets) are guarantors of the country’s sovereignty,” he added. He congratulated the parents of cadets, who were commissioned on Saturday. He also felicitated the cadets of Islamic and friendly countries, including Palestine, Bahrain and Nepal, who were also commissioned.