COAS urges military commanders to extend maximum support in relief operations amid the pandemic

Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Tuesday has directed all military commanders to extend maximum support in moving critical resources and step up relief operations across the country to ease problems people are facing in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The chief of army staff (COAS), through a video link chaired a 231st Corps Commanders’ Conference at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi which was attended by top-commanders from their respective headquarters, ISPR said.

“Appreciating the troops in the field for efforts so far, Gen Qamar directed all commanders to extend maximum assistance in moving critical resources and reaching out to mitigate suffering of people in far flung areas including G-B, AJK, interior Sindh and Balochistan,” the press release added.

The forum discussed geo-strategic, regional and national security environment with particular emphasis on latest situation arising from the infection, according to ISPR.

“Forum under took comprehensive review of deployment of Pakistan Army troops assisting civil administration in aid of civil power across the country,” the statement added.

The military’s top brass were described on functioning of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) “established to synergise and articulate national effort for containment of COVID-19”.

The forum also paid tribute to those on frontline including doctors, paramedics, health care workers and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) for confronting the pandemic under challenging environment, the ISPR said.

The corp commanders in the conference also paid tribute to the “Kashmiris who are fighting the pandemic under Indian atrocities and struggling for their just cause of self-determination”.

“Every citizen counts as we strive to scale this calamity. Being a nation with vibrant youth and resilient people ready to share and sacrifice, we will emerge stronger from this challenge, InshaAllah,” the ISPR quoted Gen Qamar as saying.

Currently, the nationwide tally of COVID-19 patients soared past 4,050 with 2,004 cases in Punjab, 986 in Sindh, 500 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 202 in Balochistan, 211 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 83 in Islamabad, and 18 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The deadly viral disease has claimed 55 lives while at least 429 coronavirus patients have recovered.