Army chief vows to strengthen country’s agricultural backbone

RAWALPINDI (HRNW) Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir on Friday expressed the military’s commitment to fortify the nation and uplift the country’s agricultural backbone.

In his address to the National Farmers Convention, the army chief asserted that agriculture and animal husbandry were professions akin to prophethood, and pledged to crack down on all forms of mafia collaborating to exploit the nation.

Munir reminisced about Pakistan’s rapid progress in the 1960s, acknowledging the country as an Asian trailblazer. However, he lamented the deviation from Quaid-e-Azam’s three golden principles of faith, unity and discipline, leading to a decline.

The army chief stated that the Green Pakistan Initiative aimed to prioritise the agriculture sector, allocating a significant portion to the provinces while reserving the rest for farmers and agricultural research.

Emphasising the virtues — discipline, resilience, growth, and patience — required in these professions, the army chief highlighted the unblemished rewards awaiting those who persevered.

He clarified the military’s role in the Green Pakistan Initiative as serving the public and farmers. “Plans include organising agricultural expos across all districts, ensuring farmers have access to various agricultural facilities like easy loans, efficient cold storage and climate-resistant seeds,” he added.

He stressed the certainty of providing genetically engineered livestock.

General Munir promised collaborative efforts to suppress mafias, fostering an environment on social media devoid of agitation, despair and chaos, warning against misinformation eroding the state’s integrity.

Refuting negative narratives about Pakistan, Munir proudly listed the nation’s abundant resources like glaciers, rivers, mountains, fertile lands yielding the finest rice, citrus fruits and treasures like granite, gold and copper.

Throughout the convention, the farmers participating in the event repeatedly chanted slogans of “Long Live Pakistan” and “Long Live the army,” resonating with General Munir’s commitment to fortify the nation and uplift the country’s agricultural backbone.