ISLAMABAD – A retired British Army officer Major-General (retired)Jonathan David Shaw has said that it is time for the world to give morerespect to Pakistan.
While writing for a British magazine ‘The Spectator’, David Shaw said thatPakistan has maintained peace and security in its country under themilitary command of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Speaking on his visit to Pakistan he wrote, “When I used to go to Pakistanregularly over the period 2009-10, I saw a country facing an existentialcrisis. Pakistan harbours 2.7million refugees from 1979 then 2001 invasionsin Afghanistan,” wrote the army officer, noting that the real psychologicalturning point for the country came after the attack on the Army PublicSchool in Peshawar in 2014, which killed around 158 people.”
He added, “I visited the Khyber Pass section of the 833km fence, with 700guard forts along its route, soon to be augmented by CCTV and sensordevices. This $1bn effort has choked off the Haqqani and TTP terroristnetworks, and in a further sign of national CT resolve, all those on the US‘watch-list’ in Pakistan have been arrested. Much credit for this must goto the Chief of the Army Staff, General Bajwa. He was picked as COAS overthe heads of more senior officers on account of his strong pro-democracyattitudes.”
He also wrote that COAS General Bajwa has proved to be “an ableinterlocutor in trying to de-escalate tensions in Yemen, between KSA andIran, and of course in Afghanistan.”
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He went on to say, “His (COAS Bajwa) character and broad vision for theoverall strength of Pakistan explains why PM Imran Khan has recentlyextended him for a second three-year term. And he is well-matched to hisPM, who has shown strength and courage with his anti-corruption drive, his”Peace and Prosperity” agenda and his release of the Indian pilot shot downin the Pulwama incident in Kashmir this February.”
He added: “As what has become known as the ‘Bajwa doctrine’ has it, now isnot the time to ask for more from Pakistan; now is the time for the worldto give more respect to Pakistan.”
Shaw also said that the recent visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridgeto Pakistan is “showcasing Pakistan as it is today” rather than the past.He added that the visit also reflects how Pakistan has transformed itselfover the course of time.
