Army top brass offers 'unequivocal' diplomatic, political support for Palestinian people amid Gaza war

The military’s top brass on Tuesday expressed concern about the enormous human cost being imposed on innocent civilians due to Israel’s disproportionate use of force in Gaza.

The military leadership issued the statement at the 260th Corps Commanders’ Conference at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, stating that the “Palestinian people have the unequivocal diplomatic, moral, and political support of the Pakistani nation.”

“We will continue to support the principled stance of our brethren for enduring resolution of the Palestinian issue and end to the unlawful occupation of their territories and Muslims’ Sacred places,” the Inter-Services Public Relations statement said.

The statement comes as Israel prepares to escalate an offensive against Hamas that has set off a humanitarian crisis in Gaza and raised fears of a broader conflict with Iran.

After Hamas’s surprise attack, Israel has responded by tightening its blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza, including by restricting the entry of fuel and bombarding the area with air strikes that have killed thousands of Palestinians and displaced hundreds of thousands more.

Furthermore, the ISPR statement noted the participants vowed to support the government of Pakistan’s strategic initiatives for the revival of the economy by providing all possible assistance to ensure the well-being of Pakistanis.

The forum also took a holistic review of the ongoing actions being taken against illegal economic activities.

For his part, COAS stressed that the Pakistan army will continue to provide all-out support to the government and LEAs in taking strict lawful actions against illegal economic activities across the country.

“Actions against hoarding and smuggling mafias and cartels in different domains will be further strengthened in the coming days to rid the country of the negative impact of such ill practices,” the army chief was quoted as saying by the ISPR.

Additionally, the forum resolved to fully support the federal government’s decision to repatriate and deport all illegal foreigners from 1st November 2023 onwards.

In this regard, COAS directed all concerned to support and facilitate the “smooth, respectable, and safe repatriation/deportation of all illegal foreigners.”

The army chief also stressed on maintaining high standards of professionalism and motivation during operations and achieving excellence during the training of the formations.

The participants were also briefed on the prevalent geo-strategic environment, challenges to national security, and strategy in response to the evolving threat.

The forum reiterated the Pakistan Army’s resolve to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan against all kinds of direct and indirect threats.

The statement added that the military leadership resolved that all terrorists, their facilitators, and abettors, working on the behest of hostile forces to destabilize Pakistan will be dealt with the unflinching resolve of the state.

The participants also offered Fateha for the Shuhadas of the Mastung, Hangu, and Zhob incidents.

“Forum also paid a heartfelt appreciation to the Security Forces and LEAs for the extraordinary sacrifices they continue to make in defending the nation and countering the threat of terrorism,” the statement added.