Islamabad: Pakistan will never fight any other country's war in future, Prime Minister Imran Khan said, asserting that he was against the war from the very beginning and his government's foreign policy will be in the best interest of the nation.
Prime Minister Khan was addressing the Defence and Martyrs Day ceremony organised by the Army at its headquarters in Rawalpindi on Thursday and attended by parliamentarians, diplomats, sportspersons, artists among others.
Talking about the devastation and sufferings caused due to the war on terror, Khan said, "I was against this war from the very beginning. "We will not become part of a war of any other country (in future)...Our foreign policy will be in the best interest of the nation," he said.
Khan, however, praised Pakistani armed forces for combating terrorism. "No other nation has fought the war on terror like the Pakistan Army," he said. He said role of security forces and intelligence agencies in making the country safer against all threats was unparalleled.
Khan also talked about investing in human capital by sending children to schools and building hospitals and system of merit so that everyone is treated equally on the pattern of first Muslim state of Medina.
"The government will bring meritocracy and transparency in all sectors by following the golden principles of state of Medina," he said. He said Pakistan was endowed with immense resources.
"We are rich with minerals, diverse topography and four seasons and the only need is working honestly to realise the goal of making the country great," Khan said.
Rejecting the impressions of a divide between the civil administration and military, the Prime Minister said both were on same page regarding the issues faced by the country. Khan said Army was the only functioning institution in Pakistan where no political interference takes place and everything is run on merit.
Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said Pakistan learnt a lot from the wars of 1965 and 1971 and has made the defence impregnable by developing nuclear weapons. He said Pakistan had paid a huge cost for its war of terrorism.
"More than 70,000 people have been killed and injured due to militancy in the country. The economic losses and burden on national exchequer is in addition to human losses," he said.
Bajwa said after making the defence strong, it is high time now to wage war against hunger and poverty.
Earlier, Prime Minister Khan expressed desire to promote cooperation with the neighbours and the rest of the world. "Pakistan believed in peaceful coexistence and wanted to promote mutual cooperation with all its neighbours and the entire world on equal basis," he said.
Khan also mentioned Kashmir and stressed upon the world powers to play their role in stopping the alleged "Indian cruelty" in the Valley. "The resolution of Kashmir issue according to the United Nations resolutions was indispensable," he said.
Khan said his government would continue its absolute struggle in the war against terrorism till its logical end.
"Sacrifices rendered by our valiant armed forces and the nation call for carrying on the spirit of September by forging unity among our ranks and fostering collective consciousness and wisdom as these traits are imperative to defeat the evil designs and conspiracies of the enemy," said President Mamnoon Hussain.
The day is being celebrated across the country with army leading the Defence Day activities. Defence Day was traditionally observed on September 6 to commemorate the steadfast defence of the country in the 1965 war with India. But from 2014, the days is being observed as Defence and Martyrs Day to pay tribute to all those killed in action.
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