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Express Tribune
an hour ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
PM amenable to dialogue with ‘misled people' in Balochistan
Listen to article Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is willing to sit across the table with 'those who have been misled… who have been led astray' in Balochistan as he promised 'social and economic justice' to the people of the impoverished province which has been caught up in a spiral of deadly violence since 2006. 'We must strive to win back the people who were misled [by terrorists] to the wrong track. If there are any grievances, they should be resolved through dialogue in the spirit of brotherhood,' he said while referring to chronic grievances in the dirt-poor province which have been exploited by Baloch terrorist groups to promote their violent narrative. The prime minister was addressing a grand jirga in Quetta on Saturday which brought together tribal elders, lawmakers, and key stakeholders for consultations aimed at resolving long-standing issues, particularly those related to security and development. Field Marshal Chief of Army Staff Syed Asim Munir, Baochistan's Acting Governor Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti and high ranking military and civil officials were also in attendance. کوئٹہ: وزیرِ اعظم محمد شہباز شریف کا بلوچستان گرینڈ جرگہ سے خطاب! — Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) May 31, 2025 Expressing gratitude for the warm welcome he received at the jirga, the prime minister described Balochistan as 'a beautiful province of brave people and the heart of Pakistan.' There has been an uptick in terrorist violence in the province which civil and military officials have blamed on India. 'The bloodthirsty terrorists, who are against the progress prosperity of Pakistan, are carrying out heinous acts of terrorism at the behest of foreign elements,' Premier Shehbaz said while referring to India. 'They must be stopped. We all must defeat their nefarious designs. If there are shortcomings in our response, these could be addressed with your guidance,' he told the jirga participants. 'All provinces are like brothers and will equally share resources of the country,' PM Shehbaz said, adding that the federal government was spending Rs70 billion on a solarisation project in Balochistan. Similarly, Rs150 billion would be diverted for building N25 highway, which is commonly referred to as the 'bloody highway' due to its precarious condition. Money for these projects would be acquired from the amount which the government was collecting after the drop in the prices of petroleum products in the international market. Prime Minister @CMShehbaz has called upon all stakeholders in Balochistan to join hands with the government and armed forces of Pakistan for lasting peace and prosperity in the province@dpr_gob @PakPMO #RadioPakistan #News — Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) May 31, 2025 The prime minister said that the government would allocate Rs1,000 billion for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) this year and 25 per cent, or Rs250 billion, from the fund would be for projects in Balochistan. He said federal funds were the right of people of Balochistan and every penny would be spent transparently on the progress and prosperity of the province. He recalled that during his tenure as the chief minister of Punjab, he had allocated 10 per cent quota for students of Balochistan in different schemes of Punjab, including laptop schemes and scholarships in foreign and provincial educational institutions. In the past, Rs2 billion was allocated for a cardiac hospital in Balochistan, he added. The prime minister also recalled that Punjab had agreed to give part of its share from the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award to Balochistan in view of its development needs as the province is the largest in terms of area. 'In today's value, the funds diverted to Balochistan amount to Rs160 billion,' he explained. Read More: PM Shehbaz 'ready for talks' with India on water, trade The NFC award was signed in Lahore in 2010 after three days of discussions among the national leadership, including President Asif Ali Zardari, then prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Nawaz Sharif, he added. He said that during Nawaz Sharif's tenure as prime minister a lot of development projects were undertaken in Balochistan and President Zardari had initiated Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package. Talking about the recent conflict with India, Premier Shehbaz said that on the night between May 6 and 7 and May 10 India attacked Pakistan but with the grace of Allah, the armed forces bravely defeated the enemy, who will remember its defeat forever. He thanked people of Pakistan for showing unity and standing shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan Army during the conflict. Read More: India's 'hydro terrorism' untenable: COAS 'As the prime minister I was witness to all the events of the short duration war,' he said, adding that 'as a brave and sagacious leader Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir led Pakistan armed forces to a victory against India and made the nation proud.' He said that the triumph over India was akin to avenging the events of 1971. 'Now the enemy is scared and Pakistan's friendly countries are more confident after Pakistan's military victory over India,' he claimed.
United News of India
an hour ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Army Chief reviews operational preparedness in the Pargwal sector of Jammu
Jammu, May 31 (UNI) Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday reviewed the operational preparedness and lauded the role of ex-servicemen in Operation Sindoor during his visit to the Pargwal sector of Jammu. Jammu-based Defence spokesman Lt Col Suneel Bartwal here said, "COAS General Upendra Dwivedi reviewed operational preparedness in J&K's Paragwal Sector and visited the Tiger Division where he commended troops for their outstanding performance in Operation Sindoor". He stressed the importance of staying agile and vigilant in response to evolving security dynamics. The Army Chief also praised BSF's close operational integration with the Indian Army and lauded the bravery of Assistant Commandant Neha Bhandari and her team for defending forward posts in the Akhnoor Sector. He also acknowledged the valuable contribution of ex-servicemen in supporting the armed forces during 'Operation Sindoor'. UNI VBH BD
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First Post
14 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
‘Fighting India is in Pakistan's DNA, only deterrence is increasing costs for terror': Pak expert Tilak Devasher
The anti-India sentiment is in the DNA of Pakistan, which means that the only way to ensure deterrence is imposing increasing costs for every act of terror, said Tilak Devasher, a former Special Secretary at Cabinet Secretariat, in an interview with Firstpost. read more Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, along with Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of Pakistan Asim Munir, reviews the parade at the passing out ceremony of 151st Long Course at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul, Abbottabad, Pakistan, April 26, 2025. Press Information Department of Pakistan via Reuters With Operation Sindoor, India entered a new age in the war on terrorism. Unlike 2016 when India conducted cross-border surgical strikes or 2019 when India conducted airstrike on a terrorist facility, India this time struck at the heart of terrorism as it struck headquarters of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed among other sites. In an interview with Firstpost's Madhur Sharma, Pakistan expert Tilak Devasher said that Indian actions, both kinetic actions like airstrikes and non-kinetic actions like holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, took Pakistan by surprise. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD ALSO READ: Operation Sindoor: With battlefield edge, India cornered Pakistan to seek peace & that's new normal 'They had not anticipated being attacked in Punjab — both the terror headquarters and airbases. So, yes, Asim Munir has lost face and hence his elevation to Field Marshal is an act of damage control, tell the people falsely that they won even though they suffered a major defeat,' said Devasher, a former Special Secretary at Cabinet Secretariat. As for the India-Pakistan relationship, Devasher said that the anti-India sentiment is in the DNA of Pakistan and the only way to ensure deterrence is imposing increasing costs for every act of terror, said Devasher, the author of 'Pakistan: Courting the Abyss', 'Pakistan: At the Helm', 'Pakistan: The Balochistan Conundrum', and 'The Pashtuns: A Contested History'. Read the full interview: With Operation Sindoor and the accompanying messaging from the government, do you believe that we now have a new 'Modi Doctrine' of national security? Yes, we do have a Modi Doctrine now. Its key components are that if there is a terrorist attack on India, there will be a fitting response; the nuclear blackmail will no longer work and India will strike precisely and decisively; and that there will be no distinction between terrorists and their sponsors. It had been said that the weak position of the Pakistani Army was one of the reasons behind approving the Pahalgam attack — the idea being that a confrontation with India would rally people around the flag and restore the Army's primacy. Do you believe in this line of thought? If yes, do you believe that Field Marshal Asim Munir miscalculated and has now lost face? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This has been Pakistan's template when faced with serious domestic issues. They divert the issue and externalise the problem to manufacture a crisis. Nothing unites the population behind the Army more than a confrontation with India. However, in this case, the Indian reaction, both kinetic and non-kinetic, took Pakistan by surprise. They had not anticipated being attacked in Punjab — both the terror headquarters and airbases. So, yes, Munir has lost face and hence his elevation to Field Marshal is an act of damage control and tell the people falsely that they won even though they suffered a major defeat. As Pakistani military stands weaker after being battered by India, do you believe that various insurgent groups in Pakistan are now going to ramp up their operations to make the most of the situation? Yes, it is a strong signal to the Baloch and the Pashtuns — and even Sindhis. They could well ramp up their operations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In your book, 'Pakistan: Courting the Abyss', you have mentioned that being in a state of confrontation with India is a must for the Pakistani Army and hatred of India is quite integral to it. With such anti-India fundamentals, do you believe there is a possibility of Pakistan being deterred in the long-term? To retain its primacy in Pakistan, a confrontation with India is expected from the Pakistani Army. Any peace or normal relations with India will make the Army lose that primacy. So, the only way to deter Pakistan is to keep increasing the cost of confrontation. Given their economic situation, they will find it difficult to recoup their losses after every confrontation with India. For many years, it was said that the age of conventional warfare between India and Pakistan was over. Do you believe that India really called out Pakistan's nuclear bluff? Or did India keep the attacks well below the threshold to rattle Pakistan? STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD I think India did call Pakistan's nuclear bluff. Pakistan is the only nuclear weapons country that treats nuclear weapons as war-fighting weapons. For other countries, nuclear weapons are deterrents. Despite their bluster, when it came to the crunch, India tested this and called out the nuclear bluff. Several of Pakistan's so-called red-lines were crossed when their air bases were targeted but they did not or could not react. Do you believe that internal troubles in Pakistan, such as insurgencies, financial troubles, or political chaos, can ever put a check on its anti-India campaign? I don't think so since being anti-India is in Pakistan's DNA. The whole philosophy of eating grass for a thousand years stems from this deep-rooted anti-India hatred.
Business Recorder
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Indian military posture: Country cannot be coerced: Field Marshal
ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, on Thursday, reaffirmed Pakistan's unwavering resolve to defeat any aggression, particularly in the face of India's increasingly dangerous military posture, while calling for the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute and cautioning against India's hydro-terrorism tactics. Addressing student officers and faculty during his visit to Command and Staff College Quetta, the Army Chief warned that Pakistan will not be coerced and vowed to comprehensively defeat any designs aimed at derailing Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts. He emphasised the need for strategic stability in the region and strongly condemned India's sponsorship of terrorism within Pakistan. Paying homage to the martyrs of Operation 'Bunyanum Marsoos', Field Marshal Munir praised the professionalism of Pakistan's Armed Forces and highlighted national unity as the cornerstone of the country's defence. He described the operation's success as evidence of strong national resolve and complete coordination among all elements of national power. In his address, the COAS also shed light on the evolving nature of global and regional conflicts and stressed the importance of agility and innovation in preparing for future battlefields. Urging student officers to remain committed and forward-thinking, he commended the role of Command and Staff College in shaping competent and visionary military leaders. Earlier, the COAS was received by Commander Quetta Corps and the Commandant of Command and Staff College upon his arrival in Quetta. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
India's 'hydro terrorism' untenable: COAS
Pakistan will never be coerced, and all inimical designs to derail the country's counterterrorism efforts will be "comprehensively defeated," Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir said on Friday, warning against India's "unlawful and legally untenable hydro terrorism," calling for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir dispute to ensure strategic stability in South Asia. According to the military's media wing, the army chief made these remarks during his visit to Command and Staff College Quetta, where he addressed student officers and faculty members, touching upon operational readiness, regional stability, and Pakistan's national security doctrine. "Pakistan's enemies will fail in their attempts to distract us from our focus on counterterrorism," Field Marshal Munir was quoted as saying by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), adding that the nation stands united in the defence of its sovereignty. He also underscored the need for a peaceful resolution to the internationally recognised Kashmir dispute. The remarks come amid recent tensions between Pakistan and India following a series of military engagements triggered by the deadly Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. India blamed Pakistan without evidence, prompting a chain of events that escalated into full-fledged cross-border hostilities. India's use of force was met with a calibrated military response under Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, which targeted Indian air assets, ammunition depots, and missile bases along the Line of Control and beyond. The operation formed part of a broader campaign, Marka-e-Haq, which ran from May 7 to May 10. Paying tribute to the martyrs of the operation, the COAS said the people of Pakistan had become a "wall of steel" under national leadership. "Marka-e-Haq is a testimony to our resolve, unity, and complete synergy among all elements of national power," he said, adding, "Allah's help comes to those nations that stand for the truth and fight with unity." Highlighting the changing nature of modern warfare, the COAS said Pakistan's military remained prepared to respond across the full spectrum of conflict. He particularly criticised India's growing tendency to resort to unprovoked military aggression, cautioning that strategic stability in South Asia was increasingly fragile and hinged on justice, especially in Kashmir.
