Army chief calls for national consensus to confront ‘economic and terrorism’ challenges

[Mirzali Khan]

Army chief calls for national consensus to confront ‘economic and terrorism’ challenges​

Dawn.com Published December 31, 2022 Updated 8 minutes ago




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A photo of Chief of the Army Staff General Asim Munir in Karachi on Saturday. — ISPR
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Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Saturday called on all stakeholders to develop the “national consensus” required to confront challenges posed by the “economy and terrorism”, according to a press release from the military’s media wing.
The army chief’s comments come amid a spate of terrorist attacks in the country after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government, ordering its militants to carry out attacks throughout the country.
Meanwhile, the country is also facing challenges on the economic front with its low foreign exchange reserves which are barely enough to cover a month’s imports. It is unclear when the country will receive more inflows from bilateral and multilateral institutions, giving rise to default fears.



According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release, the army chief attended the commissioning parade of the 118th Midshipmen and the 26th Short Service Commission as the chief guest at Karachi’s Pakistan Naval Academy (PNA). He was received by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi upon arrival at the PNA.
Addressing the parade, the COAS said: “Pakistan is passing through one of her most critical junctures and this requires the development of national consensus by all stakeholders to sail through the confronted challenges of economy and terrorism.”
He also said that the maritime domain was “continuously shifting”, mainly due to technological advancements, and only navies that “align with professionalism and modern trends of warfare” would prevail and prove effective.
“COAS congratulated the commissioning term for the successful completion of training and becoming guardians of the maritime frontiers of Pakistan,” the ISPR said.
He also appreciated the PNA for imparting “quality education not only to Pakistani cadets but also to friendly countries, advising young officers as future leaders to lead by their conduct, character, professional acumen and foresight”.
Gen Munir also gave away awards to the prize winners, the ISPR said, adding that the Quaid-i-Azam Gold Medal was awarded to the navy’s Lt Kashif Abdul Quyyom for his “overall best performance” while Midshipman Naufil Malik was awarded the “coveted Sword of Honour for his overall best performance”.
The army chief also visited Malir Garrison where he laid floral wreaths at the martyrs’ monument.
According to the ISPR, the COAS also addressed the officers of Karachi Corps, Rangers, and other CAFs at Malir Garrison where he was received by Commander Karachi Corps Lieutenant General Babar Iftikhar.
“He underscored the need to focus on the profession and demands of modern warfare and directed information operations,” the press release added.

Rising terror​

Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country has worsened, with terrorist groups like the outlawed TTP, the Islamic State group, and Gul Bahadur Group executing attacks with near impunity across the country.
Insurgents in Balochistan have also stepped up their violent activities and formalised a nexus with the TTP.
The incident at the KP police’s Counter-Terrorism Department interrogation centre in Bannu and the botched suicide bombing attempt in Islamabad not only set off alarm bells in the power corridors but also left several countries worried about the security of their nationals.
The US, UK, Australia and Saudi Arabia have issued advisories, asking their nationals to restrict movements in Pakistan and avoid non-essential trips.

Wtf is "national consensus"

ISPR songs and Atif Aslam will save the day?!

 

[Mirzali Khan]

These are internet jihadists

You stuck in 2015 bro

No one says "internet jihadists" anymore that's such a mid 2010s term LMAO

 

[FuturePAF]

I think we should follow @Imran Khan 's suggestion on developing a model similar to the Saudi deportation forces who are quite efficient. Especially targeting those that openly work against the state and spread anti-Pakistan/separatist narratives while living inside - they should be targeted first.

I understand your concern in regards to the economy and I think it's definitely valid, but national security must be considered first before any perceived economic benefits.

I might sound harsh but we are talking about extremely closeted nazi-like tribalist individuals, who see an entire nation and everyone in it as an enemy. This is an extremely common sentiment in over 90% of them. This is not an exaggeration or overstatement, they are genuinely like this.

Also forget about making them give up their claims on our territory, you could give these people the entire world but they will never give it up. It is as important to them as the core of being Afghan. It's like telling Pakistan to give Kashmir (AJK & GB) to India. Never happening.

I feel the only solution in the future is going to be one of three, to properly stabilise this region and focus on economic growth:

a) Bring a Taajik government to power in Afghanistan who is not hell bent on expansionism or conflict with Pakistan. They could truly control terror elements that emanate from Afghanistan for us, given they have the military capabilities. They could suppress the group that has these goals, secure the border from their own side.

b) 100KM buffer zone ingressing into Afghan territory, and make that a no man's land - anyone who enters is a valid target for neutralisation.

Less likely and questionable:

c) Take mass funding from China, etc, and occupy vast territories of Afghanistan and use extreme force to take it under your control. This one is problematic and would probably require US/Chinese support but if you take it under your control - it ends the core purpose of expansionism and you can use brute extreme force on any problematic elements.

I was hopeful at the beginning of your post, but your solutions have Pakistan even more at risk for attracting miscreants then could be said of what I was proposing.

China won’t give funding for an adventure in Afghanistan, they still hope to have good relations with the Afghans to get at the minerals. What China will fund are mining operations that earn them a healthy ROI.

If we can deal with the miscrants operating on our side of the border, tighten our border, and get the Afghans to start the mining operations up, it will get the Afghans incentivizes not to rock the boat.

This will also require placating all major international investors, West, Gulf Arabs, and China to prevent this project from being slow rolled by any major outside power.

Ultimately, these militants are in it for the money and ethnic-nationalism, terrorism is just their grift. this could also just may be Afghan pressure tactics to get international recognition and international aid, which their own policies are hurting them from achieving. For our part, if we can get the money flowing it will solve a lot of problems in our relations with the Afghans and these militants.

Major and repeated Strikes or a full scale adventure in Afghanistan will only reap the whirlwind and hurt our chances getting those mines opened up. We can be slow with the movement of people and can step up enforcement of deporting Afghans that are threats, but what we really need to do is get our economy right and economy of the Afghans benefiting us as well as them.

 

[TheSolution]

I was hopeful at the beginning of your post, but your solutions have Pakistan even more at risk for attracting miscreants then could be said of what I was proposing.

China won’t give funding for an adventure in Afghanistan, they still hope to have good relations with the Afghans to get at the minerals. What China will fund are mining operations that earn them a healthy ROI.

If we can deal with the miscrants operating on our side of the border, tighten our border, and get the Afghans to start the mining operations up, it will get the Afghans incentivizes not to rock the boat.

This will also require placating all major international investors, West, Gulf Arabs, and China to prevent this project from being slow rolled by any major outside power.

Ultimately, these militants are in it for the money and ethnic-nationalism, terrorism is just their grift. this could also just may be Afghan pressure tactics to get international recognition and international aid, which their own policies are hurting them from achieving. For our part, if we can get the money flowing it will solve a lot of problems in our relations with the Afghans and these militants.

Major and repeated Strikes or a full scale adventure in Afghanistan will only reap the whirlwind and hurt our chances getting those mines opened up.

My suggestions are more for long-term permanent stability so they don't come back to haunt you in the future. Right now we are in a state of limbo and uncertainty, there's too much instablity. So yes it could stir a hornets nest but we could finally have peace and not constantly be at risk of war/insurgency constantly. (#3 is incredibly unlikely and close to impossible)

Even improving their economic situation and providing stability will make no difference long term - history has already shown this through the actions of the previous Kabul regimes.

You might keep them busy for a while with certain economic prospects, but then the issue will ultimately appear again to haunt you. This time they'll have more influence and funds. It's essentially stalling/postponing something you are going to have to confront.

If you view history, we actually started facing this problem since 1947, the first couple decades were quite tough to handle in respect to Afghanistan, but then they became too preoccupied with the Soviets, civil wars, and then the US invasion to actually focus on us. Which isn't the case any more.

In reality we've been postponing an issue that we have always had to find a concrete solution for to put it to rest and bring stability. This claim they have is something they hold very close to their identity, you can't buy them out in that regard, what we are doing is temporary solutions keeping them busy.

 

[airmarshal]

مشکل وقت سے گزر رہے ہیں

https://twitter.com/x/status/1609373526246711300

Talk about everything. Literally every f*,cking thing!!

But don't point out how military leadership best buddies are the thieves they installed through regime change operation.

These military generals are such beghairats, they don't even bother colluding with Husain Haqqani. It was him who was the author of infamous memogate. The army leadership worked up a storm then accusing Haqqani of treason.

Haqqani is a traitor for he has maligned army several times not just that memo. The question is however, what was Bajwa doing with Haqqani?

Oh oh!! Sorry. Don't ask. Because according army brats, these are just made up stories.

And as if that regime change wasn't enough, now the army leadership is floating the idea of technocrat government. These boneheaded idiots are floating same idea for last 75 years. Each of the 4 direct martial laws were technocrat governments. If army leadership is accepted as a group of wise men, knowing everything, those 4 direct interventions would have made us a top economy. But look where stand today? At default!!

 

[Signalian]

Yeah masters , the same degree which got validated via g-3 from the then third class Peshawar university coz such request was initially refused by Punjab university thanks to the self proclaimed Field marshal .



lets just assume its a proper degree but how come a general graduated in army tactics end up running


wapda while an engineer/sdo is denied the post ,


Chairman Cpec , while a phd in public administration is denied the same.


chairman/member public service commission,while people with relevant civil service experience are denied the same .



Chairman sui gas, while-----.


chairman sports board,while----------


D.g coast guard, while- -------




d.g atomic energy , while --------.


Chairman disaster management authority while service men from rescuce 1122 -------



Heck even sometime around chairman boards of education while professors- ------.


and the list goes on and on .


My question is if p.m.a is the only training academy around the globe producing masters of all then we better close down every university in Pakistan and beyond. I mean what is the point of investing tax payers money in a plethora of academic disciplines when we could just directly outsource the pros from p.m.a .

your point is completely invalid since after commission from PMA there is a plethora of study and courses which are undertaken by an army officer including NDU degrees and degrees from other Unis including foreign at reaching rank of Brig and above.

Ohh please! Speak for yourself sir
I work two jobs myself first one from 930 to 7 then another two hours on private teaching, also on Saturdays, apart from taking care of all my domestic chores and errands myself. We the middle class aka aam admi is working our azz off while these generalz, bureaucrats and politicians are enjoying their life sitting on the nation wealth like their baap ki jagir.

I had a discussion with you regarding second jobs and yes you are a rare case but if everyone works like you did then we wouldn't be seeing Pakistan standing at this level of backwardness in technology and other research domains.

 

[Signalian]

You stuck in 2015 bro

No one says "internet jihadists" anymore that's such a mid 2010s term LMAO

Journos and media keeps changing trends. Its trendy to keep updated with fashion trends, but journos and media trends I am not sure.

 

[Mentee]

your point is completely invalid since after commission from PMA there is a plethora of study and courses which are undertaken by an army officer including NDU degrees and degrees from other Unis including foreign at reaching rank of Brig and above.


I had a discussion with you regarding second jobs and yes you are a rare case but if everyone works like you did then we wouldn't be seeing Pakistan standing at this level of backwardness in technology and other research domains.

My point is completely invalid and that's it?



What about my previous query ? Plz tell how hard an engineer gottta work to make it to the chairman wapda or a Doctor to be promoted to health Secretary, atleast a provincial one ?

 

[Signalian]

My point is completely invalid and that's it?

Correct.

What about my previous query ? Plz tell how hard an engineer gottta work to make it to the chairman wapda or a Doctor to be promoted to health Secretary, atleast a provincial one ?

Are you really unable to figure that out ? You are lucky if you got a job without using contacts.

 

[Path-Finder]

What pmln received from military?
Can you please tell me

What happened to PTI and it's supoorters in last 10 months.

How many of them were kidnapped and tortured?

Not even 0.01% happened to PMLN.

Army provided safe exit to nawaz sharif
Army brought maryam out of jail.
Army stopped progress on all their corruption cases.

While nawaz and maryam were openly abusing on duty generals
They were showing smpathy to Baloch terrorist

Wtf army did against them at that time?

Remov your khaki cloak patwari and stop sucking these bastards in uniform

Mulk ki chaa mod di hai or yahan abhi tak hulk me liye huy hain

Regime change =Fail
ForeignFunding =Fail
Toshakhana =Fail
Audios =Fail
MurderIK =Fail
ISI& ISPRpressers =Fail
NewChief =Fail
Econ=Fail
StopTerrorism =Fail
SilencingAwaam =Fail
ByElections =Fail

its sad that these few are defending a institution where they should stand with the quom! its their choice and their prerogative.

The quom is not going to be led astray any longer.

 

[airmarshal]

Army leadership under Zia brought Sharif family to politics to confront PPP as they knew then the military leadership had blood on their hands. I hate Bhutto but I hate the way he was framed in a false charge.

In the last 2 decades, army have provided NRO to Sharif family twice. This army leadership is a group of idiots who don't have capacity to undo their mistakes. They and their defenders have such a high ego that on this very forum, you'll see their spokesmen indirectly defending the crime of bringing back the criminals and imposing them on the nation.

Even now,instead of undoing the crime of regime change, the army chief is promoting idea of technocrat government!!!

Then they have the gall to point fingers at people that they're anti-army? How's pointing the crimes of military establishment being anti army? Army will be strong only if it's led by people who prioritize interest of institution and the nation. And that interest is not mutually exclusive.

 

[undercover JIX]

Feel free, but don't act as if all of what is happening today came out of a vacuum and how dare they now. We all were a party and even supported them in these machinations against others that were not to our liking. We enabled the establishment to be in the situation they are in today because our politicians and leaders, Imran Khan is no exception, have been a party to this experiment.

There should be some sense of responsibility. The ones frothing at the mouth today against the army were in a state of bliss for as long as there was "sab accha" between Khan sahib and his patrons (Bajwa and ex-DGISI).

I understand and agree with you, " Aik Page" wala famous dialogue I remember very well.

But there must be a time when we start correcting our mistakes If we keep making excuse of past mistakes than, when and how things will change.

 

[HAIDER]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1606154486363193344

 

[blain2]

Regime change =Fail
ForeignFunding =Fail
Toshakhana =Fail
Audios =Fail
MurderIK =Fail
ISI& ISPRpressers =Fail
NewChief =Fail
Econ=Fail
StopTerrorism =Fail
SilencingAwaam =Fail
ByElections =Fail

its sad that these few are defending a institution where they should stand with the quom! its their choice and their prerogative.

The quom is not going to be led astray any longer.

Good that the quam has it all figured out.

 

[FuturePAF]

My suggestions are more for long-term permanent stability so they don't come back to haunt you in the future. Right now we are in a state of limbo and uncertainty, there's too much instablity. So yes it could stir a hornets nest but we could finally have peace and not constantly be at risk of war/insurgency constantly. (#3 is incredibly unlikely and close to impossible)

Even improving their economic situation and providing stability will make no difference long term - history has already shown this through the actions of the previous Kabul regimes.

You might keep them busy for a while with certain economic prospects, but then the issue will ultimately appear again to haunt you. This time they'll have more influence and funds. It's essentially stalling/postponing something you are going to have to confront.

If you view history, we actually started facing this problem since 1947, the first couple decades were quite tough to handle in respect to Afghanistan, but then they became too preoccupied with the Soviets, civil wars, and then the US invasion to actually focus on us. Which isn't the case any more.

In reality we've been postponing an issue that we have always had to find a concrete solution for to put it to rest and bring stability. This claim they have is something they hold very close to their identity, you can't buy them out in that regard, what we are doing is temporary solutions keeping them busy.

After reading this post, I went to go read a book on my shelf I’ve been wanting to read for some time. I’ll tell you what it is when I finish and can give a full opinion based on that and a few interviews about Afghan history I’ve been looking to watch.

From the book, I’m coming around to accepting your view that, no matter what we will do their aspirations will remain the same. I will concede offering easier movement is putting the cart before the horse. It’s not something to consider until we have a solid track record of years of relations that address our concerns with the Afghans. In the mean time, I agree deporting threats (or better yet jailing then, so they can’t join militant groups) if we have evidence and can convict them in a court of law, should definitely be implemented.

I agree, we should not be kicking the can down the road, in fact now is probably the best time, since 1947, to finally address this issue.

But I do want to caution that we should not try to stir up the Afghans but rather empower our own loyal Pakistani Pashtuns to be better able to police the region and bring economic development. Therefore we should keep raids into Afghanistan at a minimum but definitely do them as the Afghans also need to know when they have crossed red lines. Afghanistan should not be looked at like a country anymore, but various tribes, sub-tribes, and clans, all doing what is best for them, and we should be dealing with them accordingly.

I agree, economically empowering the Afghans at this stage is a fools errand. The Afghans have a seemingly endless supply of young men willing to fight that they ought to be putting into mining and farming but they don’t for their own sakes, so who are we to keep recommending solutions when they won’t help themselves. We can bring a horse to water but can’t make it drink.

So instead of playing whack a mole, we would be better suited by reinforcing the border, putting up a concrete wall in the worst effected areas and giving our troops MRAPs and better forts with remote gun and remote automatic grenade launchers, as well as heavy guided mortars.

Also for the time being, we should strictly enforce our border checkpoints, especially to screen out any potential threats, building field hospitals on the border, so domestic and international aid organizations can provide humanitarian healthcare on the border, without having to allow people to travel into Pakistan. Also, setting up trading markets in border posts, so traders from either side don’t have to move across the border.

In the context of history, Afghans have made raids across what is now the border for hundreds of years, so what has best worked, based on how far I am into the book, is strong static defenses and local Pashtun troops able to repulse Afghans trying to take territory. Reports the Pakistan Army is going to start procuring more remote gun systems is encouraging for the defense of the border.

A strong QRF force (including attack helicopters and transport helicopters, a highly effective technique in last 40 years of wars in Afghanistan) and intelligence network are also very necessary to eliminate militants in the moment and follow them back to their leadership when their corpses are processed for intel.

P.S. if all this is in place, and the Afghans see the resolve of Pakistan, we can then ease up on travel restrictions after some time from a position of layered security. Also, I still believe Pakistan must do this itself. It can not allow foreign troops in Pakistan, because this is basically part of a Pashtun cultural civil war, and foreign troops will delegitimize the entire efforts on our part. If Drone strike or helicopter raids need to be carried out, they should be done by the PAF and Pakistani troops, respectively. This approach will also make it easier for the tribes in Afghanistan to distance themselves from foreign militant groups like Daesh.