CHIEF of Army Staff General Asim Munir has said that Pakistan is acting as a bulwark against terrorism and the international community must realize its immense sacrifices. Talking to a group of students from Harvard University, hailing from nine countries, he talked about regional security issues and the Pakistan Army’s contribution to promoting peace and stability in the region.
It is satisfying that the Army Chief avails every available opportunity to put across Pakistan’s point of view on core issues of concern to the international community. There is no denying the fact that Pakistan is the first line of defence in the war against terror as its forces are still offering great sacrifices not just to secure peace and stability for the country but also for the region and beyond. Pakistan’s current challenges have much to do with the problem of terrorism and the robust role it played in the global war against terrorism. It is mainly because of the persistent law and order situation and instability created by the vicious circle of terrorism that the country was forced to divert its scant resources towards war on terror. Apart from this, the regional instability deprived the country of benefits of some of the highly beneficial trans-regional economic projects. No doubt, the world occasionally acknowledges the role and contribution of Pakistan in the war against terror as did British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, who praised the defence forces of Pakistan for their sacrifices for the sake of regional and global peace. It is also good of her to speak forcefully against anti-Pakistan activities being carried out by Afghanistan-based TTP elements. However, Pakistan has legitimate concerns that it has once again been left to handle the situation in the aftermath of withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan. Therefore, mere acknowledgement is not enough as Pakistan needs concrete support to continue its crusade against those imperilling regional and global peace.
