| Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa says Pakistan’s defence preparation and operational readiness is to ensure peace within and peace without | Tank Al Khalid-I is a joint venture with China and Ukraine

ISLAMABAD             -       General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) visited Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) on Tuesday.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate, the COAS was chief guest at the handing over ceremony of Tank Al Khalid-I to Armoured Corps Regiment.

Tank Al Khalid-I is a joint venture with friendly countries China and Ukraine. During the ceremony Tank Al Khalid-I displayed some of its outstanding capabilities including mobility, speed, and Bi-axis gun stabilization of the control system and use of smoke screen to mask movement.

Al Khalid-I will be handed over to formations, which have critical and decisive role during war. Major General Syed Aamer Raza, Chairman HIT highlighted the ongoing projects, achievements of HIT and its contribution in defence industry by pursuing self-reliance.

COAS expressed his confidence, satisfaction and appreciation for HIT’s state of the art products and capabilities. COAS lauded the efforts of HIT towards attainment of self-reliance and manufacturing of world class indigenous defense products, direly needed in evolving security environment.

While reiterating the need for bolstering defence and operational preparedness, COAS said that our defence preparation and operational readiness is to ensure peace within and peace without. “However, if provoked, we shall respond and respond with all our might.”