Online Desk: Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir on Thursday asserted that the “peace and liberty” in the country today was the result of sacrifices made by soldiers. The army chief made the remarks during an investiture ceremony held at the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi today, according to a press release issued by the military’s media affairs wing.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said COAS Munir conferred military honours, including Sitara-i-Imtiaz (military) and Tamgha-i-Basalat, on officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army in “recognition of their exceptional valour in operations and distinguished service to the nation”. During the ceremony, which was attended by a “large number of senior military officials and families of the award recipients”, medals awarded posthumously were also received by the martyrs’ families.

Paying homage to the martyrs and veterans, the COAS was quoted as saying: “Shuhada (martyrs) and ghazis (warriors) are our enduring pride. Their honour and reverence are a sacred trust upon every Pakistani. “The peace and liberty we cherish today are the result of the ultimate sacrifices rendered by these valiant sons of the soil.”

COAS Munir also expressed “profound admiration for the resilience and fortitude” of martyrs’ families, acknowledging their unparalleled sacrifices for the homeland, the ISPR stated. “Do Pakistan’s enemies think that a handful of terrorists can decide the fate of Pakistan?” he said, adding that “even ten generations of terrorists cannot harm Balochistan and Pakistan”.

Pakistan ranked second in the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with the number of deaths in terrorist attacks rising by 45 per cent over the past year to 1,081. Militant violence and security operations intensified in the country in March, with the number of militant attacks surpassing 100 for the first time since November 2014, according to a report by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (Picss).