Field Marshal terms his 2ndvisit in just 1.5 months a new era in Pak-US ties

Says Overseas Pakistanis are a ‘brain gain,’ not a ‘brain drain’

Staff Report

RAWALPINDI:  Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal AsimMunir termed his second visit to the United States in just 1.5 months a new era in ties between Washington and Islamabad.

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal AsimMunir is undertaking an official visit to the United States and has engaged in high-level interactions with senior political and military leadership, as well as members of the Pakistani diaspora, the military’s media wing said on Sunday.

The visit comes shortly after he went to the US in June on a five-day official visit, where he met with US President Donald Trump over luncheon, becoming the first serving army chief to have a face-to-face meeting with a sitting US president.

During the trip in June, Field Marshal Munir stressed the “immense potential for a broader, multidimensional relationship built upon mutual respect” with Washington.

Sunday’s press release by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said: “In Tampa, COAS attended the Retirement Ceremony of outgoing Commander United States Central Command (Centcom), General Michael E. Kurilla, and the Change of Command Ceremony marking the assumption of command by Admiral Brad Cooper.

“COAS lauded General Kurilla’s exemplary leadership and his invaluable contributions to strengthening bilateral military cooperation, and extended his best wishes to Admiral Cooper, expressing confidence in continued collaboration to address shared security challenges.

In June, Gen Kurilla hailed Pakistan as a “phenomenal partner” in the arena of counter-terrorism, citing their struggle against terrorism in Balochistan and against terrorist groups like the Islamic State.

The field marshal also met with Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, where matters of mutual professional interest were discussed and Munir extended an invitation to General Caine to visit Pakistan.

The army chief also interacted with the chiefs of defence from friendly nations on the sidelines of the meeting, ISPR said.

“During an interactive session with the Pakistani diaspora, COAS urged them to remain confident in Pakistan’s bright future and to actively contribute to attracting investments.

“The diaspora reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Pakistan’s progress and development.”

Meanwhile, during his address to the Pakistani-American community on an official visit to the United States, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Gen Syed AsimMunir declared that Kashmir remains an unresolved international issue, not an internal matter of India, in line with the vision of Quaid-e-Azam who called it Pakistan’s “jugular vein”.

The Field Marshal said overseas Pakistanis remain a source of pride and dignity, sharing a deep commitment to the homeland. He warned that any Indian aggression would face a firm and immediate response.

He described the diaspora as a “brain gain, not brain drain”, and urged expatriates to invest and contribute to Pakistan’s development and prosperity.

Field Marshal Munircriticised India’s ambitions of portraying itself as a “Vishwaguru” (world teacher), stating that its actions do not align with such claims.

He raised concerns over the transnational terrorist activities of India’s intelligence agency, RAW, citing the killing of a Sikh leader in Canada, the case of eight Indian naval officers in Qatar, and the arrest of KulbhushanJadhav as examples.

The army chief said Pakistan had successfully countered India’s discriminatory and double standards through effective diplomacy.

He accused India of serious violations of Pakistan’s sovereignty, resulting in the martyrdom of innocent civilians, which, he warned, had brought the region to the brink of war.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s full support for United Nations Security Council resolutions on Kashmir.

On the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Field Marshal Munir called the ongoing conflict a “genocide” and described it as one of the worst human tragedies with serious global and regional consequences.

He said several terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan, including the Khawarij faction, are actively targeting Pakistan. He affirmed that Pakistan serves as the final frontier against terrorism and that no sympathy would be extended to terrorists.