Army chief vows to 'leave no stone unturned' in protection of Pakistanis against coronavirus

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Wednesday vowed to "leave no stone unturned" for the security of the people of Pakistan in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations, Gen Bajwa's remarks followed a special briefing at National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by various government representatives.

The forum was briefed about the country's latest containment efforts and enforcement measures taken against COVID-19 and the countrywide deployment of troops in aid of civil administration.

Gen Bajwa, according to the statement, said that all measures required to ensure public safety were being taken. "We can not afford to leave any segment of the society at the mercy of this pandemic," he said.

“Troops on ground must reach out to citizens in every nook and corner of Pakistan not only to protect them against this pandemic but also for bringing comfort in this hour of distress,” underscored the army chief.

“Only through a coherent national effort we can address all vulnerabilities before they turn into threats. The planned measures, if implemented timely will contribute to safety and well-being of every Pakistani and society at large,” said Gen Bajwa.

He called on the nation to "rise together", put aside differences of "caste, colour, creed, and religion" and fight as one nation.

"The task at hand is daunting, but we have overcome difficult situations before. This time the challenge is entirely different. Armed Forces will stand shoulder to shoulder with nation to guard the border between people and COVID-19,” he said.

The NCOC is serving as a nucleus for one window operation to articulate national efforts against COVID-19 — optimise informed decision making and ensure implementation of decisions of National Security Committee (NSC) and National Coordination Committee( NCC).

“Commander Army Air Defence Command, Lieutenant General Hamood-Uz-Zaman Khan has been designated as chief coordinator NCOC,” the statement read.