Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the entire nation stands by the armed forces of Pakistan to safeguard every inch of the homeland. Addressing the passing out parade of cadets at Pakistan Military Academy Kakul on Saturday, he said our valiant armed forces are capable and remain fully prepared to defend the country's sovereignty and its territorial integrity against any misadventure. Shehbaz Sharif said our armed forces are a symbol of valour, exemplary discipline and unwavering commitment to the nation. 

The Prime Minister said peace is our preference but must not be construed as our weakens. He said we will never compromise on our dignity and security of the country. Shehbaz Sharif said any attempt to stop, reduce or divert the flow of water belonging to Pakistan under the Indus Water Treaty will be responded to with full force and might. He said water is our lifeline and a vital national interest and its availability will be safeguarded at all costs and under all circumstances. 

Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan has always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We have endured immense loss of over ninety thousand casualties and economic losses exceeding six hundred billion dollars. He said there cannot be a more powerful manifestation of our commitment that we will not tolerate any kind of terrorism of any hue and colour. The Prime Minister regretted that our eastern neighbour continues the pattern of exploitation, levelling baseless allegations and false accusations without credible investigation or verifiable evidence. 

Shehbaz Sharif said the recent tragedy in Pahalgam is yet another example of this perpetual blame game which must come to a grinding halt. He said Pakistan as a responsible country, is open to participate in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation. Referring to Jammu and Kashmir dispute, the Prime Minister said founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah rightly declared Kashmir a jugular vein of Pakistan.

He said unfortunately, this globally recognized dispute remains unresolved despite UN resolutions. He said Pakistan shall continue to support the right of self-determination of Kashmiri people till they achieve their rights through their great struggle and sacrifices. The Prime Minister also mentioned the systematic persecution of minorities particularly Muslims and Sikhs in India, saying it has been more pervasive over the years.

He said India must accept full responsibility for its complete failure to protect the lives, dignity and security of these oppressed communities. Turning to Afghanistan, Shehbaz Sharif said Afghanistan is our neighborly country and it is our earnest desire to live in peace with them for all times to come.

He said despite our sincere efforts, terrorist activities continue to emanate from Afghan territory. He said we have delivered a strong and clear message to the interim Afghan government that while we desire peaceful neighborly relations with Kabul, this cannot happen so long as the Afghan soil is being used by Fitnah Al Khwarij to attack Pakistanis. 

Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan have reinvigorated old and time-tested friendships while building new partnerships to expand its global outreach. As a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, he said Pakistan is fully committed to advancing global peace and security and upholding the UN charter. He said we have also raised our voice for the people of Palestine. 

The Prime Minister said that Pakistan is taking bold strides towards visible economy recovery. He said our efforts are yielding results and achieving significant milestones in attracting foreign investment in key sectors such as mining, energy, agriculture, livestock, IT and defense production. Earlier the Prime Minister gave away awards to the best cadets. Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir also attended the passing out parade.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)