-ISPR says campaign has caused deep anguish, distress among Shuhada families
-COAS visits newly raised Army Cyber Command
-Says Firepower and Cyber Warfare mainstay of future war
-UAE President, Saudi CGS call Gen. Bajwa to condole over Chopper crash
-Commander of Hungarian Defence Forces calls on CJCSC
RAWALPINDI : The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) condemned the social media campaign on the tragic Pakistan Army helicopter crash which left six military personnel martyred.
The helicopter that had gone missing this week on Monday as it was en route from Quetta to Karachi.
The personnel in the chopper were overseeing the flood relief efforts in the southwest of the country.
“The regretful social media campaign after the unfortunate helicopter crash on August 1 has caused deep anguish and distress among Shuhada families and rank and file of the Armed Forces,” said the military’s media wing.
The statement further added: “While the whole nation stood with the institution in this difficult time certain insensitive quarters resorted to hurtful and derogatory comments on social media which is unacceptable and highly condemnable.”
On Tuesday, the martyrs of the helicopter crash in Balochistan were laid to rest with full military honours in Rawalpindi.
The funeral prayers of Lieutenant General Sarfraz Ali, Major General Amjad Hanif, and Brigadier Muhammad Khalid were offered at the Army graveyard.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, federal ministers, Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s prime minister, foreign dignitaries and a large number of senior serving, retired military and civil officials and relatives of the martyrs attended the funeral prayers.
ISPR, in another statement said Army Chief has received telephone call from President of UAE His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Friday.
His Highness expressed deepest condolences over tragic loss of precious lives due to helicopter crash in Lasbela.
ISPR said Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa remarked on Friday that “firepower and cyber” warfare will be the “mainstay of future war”, urging the “need to enhance” Pakistan’s capability and capacity in these domains.
According to ISPR, Gen Bajwa visited the newly raised Army Cyber Command and visited the cyber division and Army Center of Emerging Technologies. The two units are the main components of the Army Cyber Command.
“Nature and character of warfare is changing. Firepower and cyber have emerged as the mainstay of future war and we need to enhance our capability and capacity in these domains. The newly raised Cyber Command shall progressively be linked to Tri-Services level and will also form part of national cyber initiatives to have synergy at national level,” the army chief was quoted by the military’s media wing.
Earlier upon arrival, Gen Bajwa was received by Commander Army Cyber Command Lieutenant General Asif Ghafoor. Lieutenant General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Lieutenant General Azhar Abbas and other senior army officers were also present during the visit.
Meanwhile, ISPR said in a separate statement, Lieutenant General Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, Commander of Hungarian Defence Forces, who is on official visit to Pakistan called on General Nadeem Raza, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) at Joint Staff Headquarters, Rawalpindi.
The statement said, matters of bilateral defence cooperation including security, military exchanges, training and prevailing regional environment were discussed during the meeting. Commander of Hungarian Defence Forces said that these mutually beneficial interactions have deepened the bilateral defence relationship, strengthened the cooperation and enhanced mutual understanding between the two armies.
Chairman JCSC reaffirmed the strong and long-standing bilateral defence relationship between Hungary and Pakistan, ISPR said, adding, earlier upon arrival at Joint Staff Headquarters, Lieutenant General Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, was presented Guard of Honour by a smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Armed Forces.
General Bajwa also received telephone call from General Fayyadh Bin Hamed Al-Ruwaili, Chief of General Staff (CGS), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, yesterday. Chief of General Staff KSA expressed deepest condolences over tragic loss of precious lives due to helicopter crash in Lasbela. – ISPR
