ISLAMABAD: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said Pakistan is ready to resolve all outstanding disputes with its neighbors through dialogue in a dignified and peaceful manner.

He was addressing Islamabad Security Dialogue here on Thursday. The Army Chief however stressed that this choice is deliberate and based on rationality, and not as a result of any pressure.

General Qamar Javed Bajwa said it is time that synergies are created in South Asia through connectivity, peaceful coexistence and resource sharing to fight hunger, illiteracy and disease instead of fighting each other.

The Army Chief said despite being an impoverished region, we end up spending a lot of money on defense which naturally comes at the expense of human development.

He said Pakistan is on the few countries which despite rising security challenges has resisted the temptation of involving itself in an arms race.

He said Pakistan's defense expenditure has rather reduced instead of increasing. This is not an easy undertaking especially in a hostile and unstable neighborhood.