Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, while addressing the closing ceremony of the 1st International PACES Competition 2016, said that the competition was aimed at promoting mutual cooperation and brotherhood.
“1st International PACES Competition has been a great success. We look forward to holding such events in future as well and I am sure that we will see even larger and more diverse participation,” said the army chief.
Talking about the unique selling point of the army competition, General Sharif said, “PACES is designed to demand a high level of combat efficiency which is essential for the challenges of modern warfare.”
The army chief also praised competitors from the visiting armies, saying that all the competitors “displayed a very high standard of sportsmanship, physical fitness, and determination to give their best”.
“Today, Pakistan stands more integrated with rest of the world than ever before with such events as a fine example,” Inter-Services Public Relations quoted General Sharif as saying.
The army chief said that modern armies stress importance of “individual physical fitness and combat readiness of the troops” which, he added, was necessary to tackle the “evolving nature of warfare”.
“Physical agility and combat efficiency system of Pakistan Army has proven its effectiveness during the recent fight against terrorism. Our troops confronted insurmountable challenges that called for extreme endurance and constant vigilance,” said General Sharif,
“I have always believed that it is the disposition of the soldier that determines the outcome of the battle. Pakistan Army is trained to constantly uphold its soldierly attributes of courage, character and competence to fulfill the trust reposed by the nation.
“Operation Zarb-e-Azb is an example of war for peace which is bringing stability and prosperity to Pakistan and the region. Today, our brave men can tell the world with pride that by eliminating terrorist networks from the far reaches of Pak-Afghan border, an environment of peace and prosperity is flourishing,” said the army chief.