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Leghari bids farewell to guards

'Peace in S Asia our

cherished goal'

RAWALPINDI: President Farooq Leghari has said that permanent peace in South Asia is our cherished goal on which hinges the progress and well-being of the people living in the region.

The President was addressing a troops Darbar to bid farewell to a battalion of the Punjab Regiment which was performing the duties of the Guard Battalion of the President.

Present at the Darbar were Gen Abdul Waheed, Chief of the Army Staff, Corps Commander Lt. Gen Ghulam Mohammad Malik, Lt. Gen Mohammad Nasir Akhtar Col Commandant of the Punjab Regiment and a number of senior serving and retired officers, JCOs and Jawans of the unit.

The President, however, said that the Indian war-phobia and her illegal subjugation of the Kashmiris were the main stumbling block in the way of the socio-economic progress of the people of the region.

He added that Kashmir issues was the sole irritant in normalising the Indo-Pak relations. "If this irritant is removed through a peaceful resolution, peace can be restored in the region", he remarked.

The President said that India was spending millions of rupees to procure arms and ammunition to accelerate its hegemonistic posture in the region ignoring all UN resolutions and, in turn, Pakistan was also forced to beef up its defences. "Such a confrontation can only be avoided if India agrees to resolve the Kashmir issue peacefully and according to the UN resolutions", he added.

President Farooq Leghari, nevertheless, cautioned that India, bogged down by the unparalleled successes achieved by the Kashmir freedom-fighters, could go on some misadventure against Pakistan, and "We must be prepard to face such an eventuality".

All the more, the President said, India's aggressive posture was vividly reflected in her stockpiling of modern weapons and deployment of missiles on our borders. This all was further aggravating the already tense situation in the region and had forced Pakistan to reconsider its defence requirements.

Leghari assured the nation and the Armed Forces that Pakistan was not oblivious of the hegemonistic designs of India. "Although we are keen to spend maximum of our resources on the welfare of our people, the national defence cannot be ignored. The Government and its people were ready to make all sacrifices to maintain their integrity, solidarity and independence", he remarked.

The President eulogised the services rendered by our Armed Forces at the national and international level and said that the performance of our troops deployed in different parts of the world under the UN aegis has been acclaimed by our foes and friends alike. "Their performance abroad is the manifestation of our quest for peace the world over", the President said and added that our troops, through their sheer professionalism, had brought name and fame to Pakistan.

Leghari also spoke highly of the zeal and devotion demonstrated by the troops in helping the marooned brethren stranded in the flood-affected areas. He said their commitment in the flood relief activities has further enhanced their respect and prestige in the eyes of the people.

Earlier, in his welcome address Lt. Col Javed Sultan in his welcome address spoke about the rich history of the battalion in the service of the nation and thanked the President for gracing the occasion.-APP