ISLAMABAD      -       Outgoing Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that he believes the Pakistan Army’s decision to become ‘apolitical’ will help enhance its prestige in the long term. “The Pakistan Army has always remained a dominant player in national decision-making. Due to its historic role in the country’s politics, the military drew severe criticism from public and politicians alike,” said Gen Bajwa in an exclusive interview with UAE-based publication Gulf News yesterday. The general reiterated that the army has restricted its “role to its constitutional mandated task only by deciding to make it ‘apolitical’. He urged the Pakistani youth to shield itself from “divisive propaganda and information warfare that seeks to polarise our society and erode mutual trust”. He said that “no nation is secure by virtue of its defence forces alone. While the armed forces of Pakistan are ready to sacrifice our lives for the motherland, we cannot succeed without the support of our people, especially the large, dynamic and industrious youth of Pakistan, which constitutes around 60 per cent of our total population.” “Pakistan’s armed forces draw their strength and support from Pakistani nation and this support keeps us motivated in confronting the threats to Pakistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and internal security,” he said. “My message to our young generation, the future of Pakistan, is to devote their time and energy towards education and skill development. Honest toil and selfless exertion are the basis of a progressive society,” he added. He later went on to say that “despite some criticism and undue vilification of the Armed Forces through mass propaganda and meticulously crafted false narratives, the institutional resolve to remain apolitical will remain steadfast. I am certain that this political quarantine of the Armed Forces will auger well for Pakistan in the long term by fostering political stability and strengthening the Army-to-people bond.” “Pakistan Army has enjoyed unmatched respect and trust of the Pakistani nation throughout our history. Army’s positive and constructive role in Pakistan’s national security and development has always received unwavering public support,” the general added. Reflecting on the challenges the country presently faces, the COAS said: “Streaks of political intolerance in our society is a worrisome new trend; we will keep striving for a society which is tolerant, rational and does not discriminate on the basis of political orientation, faith, ethnicity or creed.” To a question, Gen Bajwa said that “on the internal front, Pakistan’s successful counterterrorism campaign has turned the tide of terrorism. We continue to make meaningful efforts to overcome the menace of extremism and residue of terrorism.” Calling the army’s strategy geared against terrorism as “a wholesome peoplecentric developmental approach with a focus on mainstreaming of our tribal areas” he said that “the emancipation of people of border areas remains top priority of Pakistan’s civil and military leadership”. Meanwhile, the COAS also noted that on the international front “stability has remained elusive due to historical conflicts and un-resolved disputes”. “Pakistan’s all-weather strategic partnership with China has endured the upheavals of the strategic environment through many decades. The ever-sharpening global power contestation, however, now places Pakistan in a delicate position with regard to balancing our relationship with China and the West. Pakistan is trying to steer itself prudently in this increasingly contested strategic environment and ensuring that we are not pulled into any future iteration of cold war,” General Bajwa continued. Terming his four decades of military service “a profound privilege”, General Bajwa said that he has “witnessed Pakistan Army as a constantly evolving force, which has always orchestrated and synergised its response with the changing threat paradigm and rapidly transforming the character of war.”