ISLAMABAD - Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that Pakistani nation and its armed forces have bravely and successfully stood up to various threats and “now it is our time to rise”.

Talking to participants of the National Security Workshop - 20 in an interactive session at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Monday, he said Pakistan had been subjected to various threats especially during the last two decades.

The army chief said Pakistani nation and its armed forces bravely and successfully stood up to the challenges and was on a positive trajectory to defeat these effectively.

But he warned that we are now confronting a hybrid conflict where focus is shifting to subversion on religious, sectarian, ethnic and social issues.

"We now have a greater responsibility to ensure that our people, especially youth stay aware and steadfast against propaganda onslaught being launched through soft offensive," the COAS emphasised.

"It is our time to rise and progress and we must grasp the opportunity achieved after countless sacrifice," he said.

National Security Workshop is an annual event at the National Defence University participated by representatives from all segments of society.

The participants the workshop were briefed on 'Security Situation of Pakistan and Challenges and Response', according to military’s media wing ISPR.

Separately, Director General of ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor said on Monday that Pakistan desires peace but any misadventure shall be responded effectively.

He stated this while interacting with a delegation of journalists from Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir and Hazara division in Rawalpindi.

ISPR DG briefed the delegation about the situation along the Line of Control and the Indian ceasefire violations deliberately targeting innocent civilians.

Commenting on the situation along the Line of Control, the military spokesperson said that the situation along the LoC and Indian Ceasefire Violations deliberately targeting innocent civilians.

Elaborating further, he maintained that “despite restricted liberty of action for response to Indian fire due to the presence of our Kashmiri brethren on both sides of LoC, Indian fire is effectively responded focusing on Indian posts”, adding the Pakistan Army executes the job professionally and responsibly.

Maj-Gen Asif Ghafoor said Pakistan Army is a professional and responsible force. He said that despite restricted liberty of action for response to Indian fire due to presence of our Kashmiri brethren on both sides of LoC, Indian fire is always effectively responded focusing on Indian posts only.

The journalists shared their feedback on security situation and development work undertaken by Pakistan Army in their respective territories.

On September 22, responding to Indian army chief’s provocative statement, DG Ghafoor said that Pakistan is a nuclear power and its desire for peace should not be misconstrued as weakness.