ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday said that Pakistan had emerged as a symbol of regional balance and stability due to the efforts of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to a statement from the Presidency marking the first anniversary of “Marka-e-Haq.”
In his message, the president paid tribute to the nation and the armed forces, saying Field Marshal Asim Munir’s leadership, strategy and “bold decisions” played a key role in what he described as the success of Marka-e-Haq.
He also praised Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu and the Pakistan Air Force for their “exceptional skill and professionalism,” while commending Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and the naval forces for their operational readiness and defence capabilities.
Zardari said Pakistan was a responsible and peace-loving state that had demonstrated its defence capabilities to the world by responding to aggression in a “firm but measured” manner.
He said the issue of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir must be resolved in accordance with United Nations resolutions, adding that Pakistan would continue to extend its moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people.
The president termed India’s alleged attempt to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty as “water aggression,” saying water remained a matter of life and death for millions of Pakistanis.
He also called on Afghanistan to ensure its territory is not used for terrorism against Pakistan or other countries in the region, stressing that eliminating externally-backed terrorism was essential for regional peace.
Zardari said Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts for a peaceful resolution of the Iran-US conflict had been widely appreciated at the international level.
He reiterated that the people of Pakistan and the armed forces remained fully prepared to meet any challenge and defend the country’s sovereignty.
