
Pak corps commanders meet to assess 'standoff' with India, say will protect territorial integrity
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Islamabad: Pakistan Army corps commanders met here Friday to review the "standoff" with India and expressed the military's "unflinching resolve" to protect the country against any "aggression or misadventure". Pakistan Army chief Gen Asim Munir presided over the special Corps Commanders' Conference (CCC) at Rawalpindi-based General Headquarters (GHQ), amid tensions between the two countries after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 29 told the top defence brass that the armed forces have "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India's response to the Pahalgam attack.The forum conducted a comprehensive review of the prevailing geo-strategic environment, with particular emphasis on the "current Pakistan-India standoff and the broader regional security calculus"."The forum reaffirmed the unflinching resolve of the Pakistan Armed Forces to uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country against any aggression or misadventure," a statement said after the meeting of the military top brass.The commanders noted what it termed as "India's consistent pattern of exploitation of crises to achieve political and military objectives" and alleged that they have been "following a predictable template - whereby internal governance failures are externalised."These incidents have often coincided with unilateral moves by India to alter the status quo, as seen in 2019 when "India similarly exploited the Pulwama incident to unilaterally alter the status quo of Kashmir, through revocation of Article 370," they alleged.The meeting also expressed serious concern that India is now "exploiting the Pahalgam incident to undermine" the Indus Waters Treaty , seeking to "usurp Pakistan's legitimate and inalienable water rights".While reaffirming Pakistan's abiding commitment to peace, stability, and prosperity, the forum made clear that "any attempt to impose war will be responded to, surely and decisively and aspirations of people of Pakistan shall be respected at all costs."The meeting concluded with the COAS expressing complete confidence in the operational readiness, deterrence posture, and morale of all formations and strategic forces to defend the nation across the entire threat spectrum.
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