F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday jointly conferred the baton of Field Marshal upon Syed Asim Munir, Chief of the Army Staff during a special investiture ceremony at President House here.
The prime minister handed over the baton to Field Marshal Asim Munir during the ceremony. Quaid of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Nawaz Sharif, federal cabinet ministers, governors, chief ministers, members of Parliament and services chiefs attended the ceremony.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari were also in attendance. In his remarks, the President said, “Today, we are gathered here to honour our valiant armed forces and heroes of the Army, Navy, and Air Force who defended the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our motherland against unprovoked Indian aggression. The entire nation is proud of all of you.”
“It is a matter of great pleasure for me to confer the baton of Field Marshal upon Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Nishan-e-Imtiaz Military in recognition of extraordinary service to Pakistan during this turbulent period, and with full confidence in his command and character.”
“I, as President of Pakistan, hereby promote General Syed Asim Munir to the full rank of Field Marshal and confer the baton of the Field Marshal. As Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, I was more than happy to approve the conferment.” The President said, “Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, your military career is forged with courage and refined by wisdom, a commitment to lead with vision, strength and honour at the highest level of our armed forces.” Under Field Marshal Asim Munir’s wise leadership, Pakistan’s Armed Forces created an unprecedented level of operational cohesiveness,he remarked. He noted that throughout three weeks of Marka-e-Haq, Field Marshal Asim displayed a pragmatic understanding of the need to avoid escalation.
“Our diplomatic response was also appreciated by the world. Our media also played a role in highlighting the truth.” He thanked the entire Pakistani nation, who stood united and resilient in the face of the enemy’s aggression. “Our brave Armed Forces and citizens presented a united front and became a solid wall. Our victory was both military and moral. The world witnessed our strength, our restraint, and our resilience.”
He reiterated that Pakistan was a peace-loving nation and believed in peaceful coexistence. “But our desire for peace must never be mistaken for weakness. We will not tolerate any attack upon our soil, and if needed, we will fight for every inch in the air, sea, rivers, jungles, and deserts. Any act of aggression will be met with full force at our command,” he asserted.
President Zardari said, “This conferment of the rank of Field Marshal is a national recognition of the Chief of Army Staff Syed Asim Munir’s remarkable services to the homeland. It is an acknowledgement of his firm leadership in defending Pakistan’s frontiers.”
