QUETTA: The office bearers and executive committee of Pakistan Businesses Forum (PBF) welcomed the appointment of General Syed Asim Muneer as Chief of Army Staff (designate) and General Sahir Shamshad Mirza (designate) as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee by the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
PBF Chairman (Balochistan Chapter), Engr. Daroo Khan Achakzai acknowledged the services of the outgoing COAS and said that in the face of uncertainties in the region the role played by COAS Gen Qamar Bajwa to tackle the rising challenges remained exemplary in managing the hardcore professional tasks as well as helping Pakistan navigate choppy waters during the last six years.
Pakistan Army under the command of General Bajwa played a crucial role in strengthening Pakistan’s ties with countries across the globe through military diplomacy and played a monumental role including in the case of FATF, he said.
He said that under the leadership of COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Pakistan was saved from the heavy penalty in the Reko Diq case and reconstituted a project aimed at excavating huge gold and copper reserves from the site in Balochistan. The Reko Diq agreement was a result of the COAS’s personnel efforts as he convinced all parties to a National Consensus, he maintained.
He said that the Reko Diq agreement has been reached after several rounds of negotiations over the past three years saying that Reko Diq would potentially be the largest gold and copper mine in the world, it would liberate Pakistan from crippling debt and usher in a new era of development and prosperity.
PBF Balochistan chief Daroo Khan said Reko Diq would prove to be a game changer for Federal, Provincial Governments and the people of Balochistan. It shall not only restore an investment-friendly image of Pakistan but will also accrue major economic benefits, development of indigenous mineral exploration capability, and result in a momentous socio-economic boost for the people of Balochistan, he underlined.
PBF Vice Chairperson, Sana Durrani said General Bajwa was also accredited for launching the public version of the country’s first-ever National Security Policy, which positions geo-economics as a major part of the country’s national security outline.
She said that the military’s increasing focus on stabilizing the economy demonstrates that the institution realizes that comprehensive sovereignty and security could not be achieved in the absenteeism of economic constancy.
She said during the pandemic, while the entire world was shattered by the looming crises, Pakistan’s military took lead to strategize and put to effect a novel idea for the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). The Military’s organizational and administrative skill was put to good use, and a state-of-the-art quick but enduring solution surfaced.
Durrani further stated it not only contributed to the distribution of food and medical equipment to the poor but also carried out large-scale awareness campaigns about Covid-19 due to such effective and synergized efforts, Pakistan has not only tackled Covid-19 very efficiently but also averted impending economic tragedy.