Tag: General Qamar Bajwa

  • Pakistan’s new COAS: Gen Bajwa hands over command to Gen Munir

    Pakistan’s new COAS: Gen Bajwa hands over command to Gen Munir

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa handed over the military’s command to General Asim Munir today at a General Headquarters (GHQ) ceremony in Rawalpindi, marking the end of his six-year extended tenure.

    The change of command ceremony marks the time-honoured tradition that symbolises the seamless transition of military leadership. As the ceremony began with a GHQ military band performing national songs and a medley of folk tunes, former heads of the military could also be spotted among the guests.

    Senior serving and retired officers, diplomats as well as government functionaries were in attendance.

    Prior to the ceremony, both Gen Bajwa and Gen Munir laid a wreath at the Yadgar-i-Shuhada (Monument to Martyrs) in GHQ and offered fateha.

    ‘Mein gumnaami mein chala jaon gaa, lekin fauj kay saath rohaani raabta hamesha kayam rahay ga’: Gen Bajwa

    Gen Bajwa congratulated Gen Munir on being appointed his successor and hoped his promotion would help the country and the army progress. He went on to say that his association with Gen Munir goes back 24 years.

    “In addition to being a Hafiz-i-Quran, he is a professional, capable and principled officer. I am certain that under his leadership the army will reach new heights of success,” the outgoing Chief said while paying tribute to his successor.

    Gen Bajwa hoped the appointment of Gen Munir as the military chief would prove to be positive for both the country and the army. He said he was handing over the army to an “expert and capable son”.

    Reflecting on his military journey, Gen Bajwa said the journey which began several decades ago was now coming to an end.

    “I am thankful to God that he gave me the opportunity to work for this great army and gave me the opportunity to lead it,” he said, reiterating that it was a “great honour” for him.

    “Soon, I will walk into obscurity, but my spiritual relationship with the army will be forever,” he said in a rare moment of poignancy, ending his speech with prayers for the success of the new army chief and the Pakistan army.

    The ceremony was also attended by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu.

    Gen Munir was chosen to lead the country’s army by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on November 24. The summary of his appointment was ratified by President Arif Alvi the same day.

  • Army Chief, President Alvi watch PSL 7 final at Gaddafi Stadium

    Army Chief, President Alvi watch PSL 7 final at Gaddafi Stadium

    February 27 was a night to remember for Lahorites as Qalandars finally bagged their maiden title while President Dr Arif Alvi and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa also watched the final clash of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022 at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Sunday.

    The stadium was packed with full capacity crowd while the country’s top commander and President, along with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja, were present to enjoy the much-anticipated game.

    According to reports, General Bajwa was accompanied by Corps Commander Lahore Lieutenant General Muhammad Abdul Aziz.

    Meanwhile, strict security measures were made for the final game. The top police command of Punjab inspected the security arrangements, while adjourned areas leading to the stadium were closed an hour before the beginning of the match.

    Special commandos were also put on high alert on the routes of the guests, reports said.

    The seventh edition of the country’s flagship tournament, which commenced on January 27 at seaside metropolis Karachi, came to a successful end on Sunday, February 27.

  • Rare meeting: Army Chief meets both President Alvi and PM Khan on same day

    Rare meeting: Army Chief meets both President Alvi and PM Khan on same day

     Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Bajwa on Monday met President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan.

    It is rare for an army chief to meet both heads of the state and the government on the same day. The Prime Minister Office (PMO) in a statement said, “Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa called on Prime Minister Imran Khan today. Professional matters pertaining to Pakistan Army were discussed during the meeting”.

    The presidency, speaking about the meeting between COAS and the president, said, “During the meeting, the president was briefed about the professional preparedness and measure being taken by the security forces against the terrorist elements.”

  • Army chief cites unresolved disputes as reasons behind regional debt, poverty

    Army chief cites unresolved disputes as reasons behind regional debt, poverty

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday said unresolved disputes in South Asia were dragging the entire region into debt and poverty, in a veiled reference to the Kashmir issue.

    Addressing a gathering on the final day of the Islamabad Security Dialogue, COAS Bajwa said the national security encompassed more than just matters and affairs related to strengthening the country’s security forces.

    “It included development and human security as well,” he said.

    “We feel it is time to bury the past and move forward,” he said, adding that the onus for meaningful dialogue rested with India.

    “Our neighbour will have to create a conducive environment, particularly in occupied Kashmir.”

    “The world has seen the ravages of the world wars and the Cold War, wherein polarisation and neglect of virtues blighted the future and brought catastrophic consequences for humanity,” he said.

    “Today the leading drivers of change in the world are demography, economy and technology. However, one issue that remains central to this concept is economic security and cooperation. Frayed relations between various powers centres of the globe and boomeranging of competing alliances can bring nothing but another stint of Cold War.”

    Congratulating the National Security Division on organising the dialogue, Gen Bajwa stated that the contemporary concept of national security was not just about protecting countries from an external and internal threat.

    It is also about providing a conducive environment for ensuring human security, national progress and development, he said.

    The army chief’s comments come a a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan said that India would have to make the first move to normalise ties with Pakistan.

    “We are trying, but India would have to take the first step and unless it does that we cannot move ahead,” the prime minister had said while inaugurating the Islamabad Security Dialogue.

  • Bajwa, Imran concerned as Sadpara, team remain missing

    More than 45 hours have elapsed since Pakistan’s Muhammad Ali Sadpara, Iceland’s John Snorri and Chile’s JP Mohr went missing, the Alpine Club of Pakistan and the manager of the expedition, Chhang Dawa Sherpa have confirmed. A rescue operation initiated on Saturday was also unsuccessful with Pakistan Army helicopters returning to Skardu without any information of the three mountaineers who were attempting to summit K2 in the winters.

    According to reports, Sadpara, Snorri and Prieto have been missing since Friday, though news of their summit of K2 had flooded social and mainstream media Friday night. It has not yet been confirmed whether the mountaineers have summited K2.

    A rescue operation was started approximately 24 hours after the climbers lost communication with Army helicopters trying to locate them. The helicopters managed to reach 7000 metres but had to return due to the winds and worsening weather conditions.

    Meanwhile, Sajid Sadpara, the fourth mountaineer on the expedition and Ali’s son, who had begun an earlier descent due to the malfunctioning of his oxygen regulator was escorted to base from Camp 3 by a team of Nepali Sherpas led by Dawa Sherpa.

    “The search for the remaining team members continues. Appeal for prayers,” tweeted Sajid, requesting for prayers.

    https://twitter.com/SajidAliSadpara/status/1357987764088827905?s=19

    Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa have also expressed their concern over the missing climbers and are personally monitoring all developments, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari has said.

    “High altitude porters and Lama helicopter will restart search at the crack of dawn. Prayers needed from everyone for their safe return,” added the SAPM.

    President Arif Alvi also expressed his concern, saying that “we pray for their safety”.

    Meanwhile Sadpara’s colleagues, celebrities and other noted personalities are also praying for the safe return of Sadpara and his colleagues.

    https://twitter.com/Hina_RKhar/status/1358081738124234757?s=20

    Sadpara is a Pakistani mountaineer and has hoisted the country’s flag on eight peaks. He was also part of the team that successfully achieved the first-ever winter summit on Nanga Parbat in 2016.

    Earlier on Friday, a 43-year-old Bulgarian mountaineer fell to his death while trying to summit K2, the world’s second tallest peak.

  • ‘Saudi crown prince desperate for patchup with Pakistan while Imran, Gen Bajwa may have moved on,’ claims journalist

    ‘Saudi crown prince desperate for patchup with Pakistan while Imran, Gen Bajwa may have moved on,’ claims journalist

    Anchor Usama Ghazi, among other journalists with a presence on YouTube, has claimed that Saudi Arabia is desperate to improve ties with Pakistan as it needs to get closer to the new Biden administration in the United States (US); however, it seems that the civil and military leadership in Pakistan may have moved on.

    Islamabad recently returned $1 billion to Riyadh as the second instalment of a $3 billion soft loan, as the country reached out to Beijing for a commercial loan to help it offset pressure to repay the last $1 billion in January.

    “Now that Pakistan will no longer be under Saudi pressure but the Kingdom will be fearing missing out on a lot under a new US government; it is trying to improve relations with Pakistan that have suffered blows over the past few months,” Ghazi said in a YouTube video, citing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s closeness with former US president Donald Trump as a major reason.

    He went on to claim that a new world was being formed with Pakistan, China, Russia, Turkey and even Iran if Biden’s US removes Trump-imposed sanctions on the country.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    “Saudi Arabia is regretting not outrightly supporting Pakistan on the Kashmir issue against India and seeking back the loan […] but now the ball is in Pakistan’s court,” he said and added that leadership in Pakistan was no longer under any burden. “They have appointed Bilal Akbar as the new envoy [to Saudi Arabia] and Gen (r) Raheel Sharif is already there.”

    While the journalist also mentioned the under-construction Iran–Pakistan gas pipeline and what impact would it have in the new world, it is relevant to note that Ghazi is not the only one to have come forward with such claims regarding alleged Saudi desperation for better ties with Pakistan.

    Senior journalist Irshad Bhatti had earlier claimed that the Saudi government has refused to let former convicted PM Nawaz Sharif, leading to speculations if it was an attempt to appease the Pakistani government.

  • ‘Humble Gen Bajwa waits in line for omelette brunch at Islamabad Club’, meets PML-N’s Zubair again

    Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had Sunday brunch with his family at Islamabad Club and freely mingled up with other guests present there, The News has reported.

    According to the report as well as a letter to a local English daily by an eyewitness, the army chief of the world’s tenth strongest military seemed to direct the staff to remove all special arrangements that had been put up for him and his family ahead of their arrival.

    “At the omelette station, the waiting line was rather long. It was so heartening to see that Gen Bajwa stood in the queue (me and my family noticed with surprise and delight) for about 18 minutes before he was served with his omelette (no one wanted to give him his slot nor did the general ask for [it], he was totally comfortable),” read the letter.

    The letter went on to claim that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Muhammad Zubair, who had in the recent past made headlines for meeting military leadership despite his party’s strained relations with the establishment, and his family “were the only people who were not allowed to meet the general”.

    However, the PML-N leader rubbished the claim in conversation with The Current. “I met him with his family. We exchanged pleasantries for about 10 minutes. And that’s it. More than 150 people present there watched it all,” he said.

    “Why wouldn’t he meet me?” he went on to ask.

  • ‘Army chief had nothing to do with election rigging,’ ex-PM says

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart and former prime minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had nothing to do with rigging in the 2018 general election, which his colleagues among other opposition leaders allege.

    “I met him [Gen Bajwa] in November 2018 and expressed no reservations regarding rigging because he had nothing to do with it,” Abbasi said while speaking to journalists on Wednesday. He added that the meetings between ex-Sindh governor and PML-N leader Muhammad Zubair with the COAS were being misconstrued.

    Abbasi, who is among the many PML-N leaders booked for sedition over ex-PM Nawaz Sharif’s fiery speeches against the government and state institutions, further said that the government was distributing treason certificates. “It does not matter what ministers say… Imran Khan is the one behind these cases.”

    Lashing out at the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he also said that PM Imran did not know that sugar was being sold at Rs110 per kg, he did not know that unemployment was on the rise, and was not even aware that CPEC [China-Pakistan Economic Corridor] has been closed.”

    “Can’t believe he [Imran] thinks that people will buy it when he says he has nothing to do with the cases registered against the PM of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and those who served the country, including two former premiers and three former army generals… they have become traiters today.”

    Abbasi maintained that traitors were the ones “who stopped work on CPEC and added to the masses’ miseries”.

  • ‘Military has no direct or indirect role in politics,’ says Gen Bajwa in ‘meeting with politicians’

    ‘Military has no direct or indirect role in politics,’ says Gen Bajwa in ‘meeting with politicians’

    After Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, Federal Minister for Communications Murad Seed has also confirmed that parliamentary leaders had met the military leadership and discussed matters related to the country, to which the army had stressed that it should be kept away from political parties’ matters.

    “They target institutions and then ask for time for meetings,” Saeed said, referring to opposition leaders. He had said that the clear message from the military leadership was to “not involve the military in politics”.

    According to reports, the military had conveyed clearly that the army was “not involved, directly or indirectly, in any political process of the country”.

    “If the need arises, the army will stand with the civilian government,” a senior military official had told parliamentary leaders in the meeting.

    The meeting was attended by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director-General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed. Gilgit-Baltistan’s (GB) administrative affairs were also on the meeting’s agenda.

    The military leadership had told the civilians that the army was not involved in either electoral reforms or problems related to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and other political matters. It had also told them that it was the responsibility of the political leadership to work out such matters between themselves.

  • Defence Day: President warns India, PM praises armed forces, army chief stresses peace

    The 55th Defence Day was observed on Sunday to commemorate the sacrifices of fallen heroes during the 1965 war with India and to renew the pledge to safeguard the country’s geographical and ideological boundaries in every situation and at all costs.

    The day commenced with special prayers in mosques for the peace, prosperity and solidarity of the country and to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the protection of their motherland.

    The main ceremony was held in the morning at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, according to Radio Pakistan, where Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa laid a floral wreath at the Martyrs Monument.

    A change of guards was also held at the Quaid’s mausoleum with Air Vice Marshal Shakeel Ghazanfar as the chief guest of the ceremony. A contingent of 46 cadets of the Pakistan Air Force Asghar Khan Academy took over guard duties.

    A ceremony was also held at the Naval Headquarters in Islamabad, Radio Pakistan reported.

    In his message to the countrymen on Defence Day, President Arif Alvi said that Pakistan would never compromise on its sovereignty and security, making it clear that any kind of misadventure by the enemy would be dealt with severely.

    “It makes me happy to state that we have achieved self-reliance in the defence field […] We have thwarted external aggression; we have successfully defeated terrorism and extremism, and now we are on the path towards economic prosperity.”

    He said the day was a reminder of the spirit and valour of Pakistan’s armed forces and the nation through which they thwarted the evil designs of the enemy on this day, 55 years ago.

    The president said the nation saluted the martyrs as well as their families for their fortitude as they set a great example of patriotism by sacrificing their loved ones for defence of the country.

    “The spirit of September 1965 still lives in our hearts and I can proudly say that because of this, we have been successful in many testing times. Our armed forces’ professional excellence, combat readiness, and above all their unwavering faith in Allah has made Pakistan invincible,” he added.

    Meanwhile, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said that Pakistan’s desire for peace must not be misconstrued as its weakness, adding that the country’s armed forces were “fully capable” of defending the country.

    “The resilient nation and the battle-hardened armed forces of Pakistan have time and again proved that they are fully capable of defending the country and are fully prepared to meet any kind of eventuality,” the premier said in a series of tweets.

    In his message, the premier honoured the fallen heroes of the war, saying that 55 years ago, the nation and the men in uniform “proved that it is not the size that matters, but it is the courage and devotion that matters the most”.

    “September 6 is a day in Pakistan’s glorious history that is commemorated as a symbol of courage, strong will and unmatched spirit of sacrifice by our gallant armed forces.”

    Later, during an investiture ceremony held at the army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on the occasion of the 55th Defence Day, the army chief conferred military awards to army personnel for acts of gallantry during various operations.

    “Families of shuhada/ghazis, senior serving military officers/soldiers also attended the ceremony,” according to a press release by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

    The military’s media wing said 40 officers were awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military), 24 officers and soldiers were awarded Tamgha-e-Bisalat and a soldier was awarded the United Nations Medal.

    The medals of the martyred were received by their family members.

    Addressing the gathering, the army chief said that Pakistan faced great trials over the last 20 years with war on the eastern and western fronts. He said that the country also faced natural disasters, such as floods and earthquakes, and the war on terror.

    General Bajwa said that thousands of people got displaced and many sacrificed their lives. He also noted that the country successfully fought against coronavirus and the locust attack.