COAS Munir says won't let political differences turn into hatred

Rawalpindi: The state would “not allow political differences to turn into hatred”, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir said on Friday.

Strong relations between the army and the public would serve as the foundation to defeat any enemy trying to create rifts between the two, he added.

The army chief was addressing a ceremony at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi today to mark the country’s 59th Defence Day, commemorating the sacrifices of fallen heroes of the 1965 war against India.

The ceremony was attended by the army’s top brass, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, other senior military and governmental officials, and families of martyred soldiers, among others.

The Army Chief said external forces, involved in fanning terrorism in Pakistan will not be allowed to succeed in their designs.