PM vows unwavering support for armed forces amid rising security threats

• Premier Shehbaz reaffirms resolve to confront internal and external challenges alongside military

• Remarks come as Pakistan honours Kargil hero Captain Karnal Sher Khan on 27th martyrdom anniversary

 ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday reaffirmed Pakistan’s unwavering resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with its armed forces against all internal and external threats, as the country grapples with a surge in militant violence and continued tensions with arch-rival India, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

“The prime minister reaffirmed the government’s and the people of Pakistan’s unwavering resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with the country’s armed forces against any external or internal threat facing the nation,” the PMO said in a statement.

The prime minister’s remarks came as the nation observed the 27th martyrdom anniversary of Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (Nishan-e-Haider), who embraced martyrdom during the 1999 Kargil conflict with India. Widely regarded in Pakistan as a symbol of exceptional courage and battlefield valour, Captain Karnal Sher Khan was posthumously awarded the Nishan-e-Haider, the country’s highest military honour for bravery.

The statement also comes at a time when Pakistan is facing an upsurge in terrorists attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the two provinces bordering Afghanistan.

On Saturday, at least three security personnel were killed and 15 others injured when a vehicle-borne suicide bomber targeted a Pakistan Coast Guards checkpost in Balochistan.

Pakistan has repeatedly accused India of backing terrorists organisations, including the Fitna al-Khawarij (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) (TTP) and the Fitna al-Hindustan, (Baloch Liberation Army) (BLA), to carry out attacks against its citizens and security forces. Islamabad has also alleged that Afghanistan provides sanctuary to these and other militant groups.

Both India and Afghanistan have rejected Pakistan’s allegations and, in turn, accused Islamabad of harbouring militant organisations.

Relations between Islamabad and New Delhi have remained strained since May 2025, when the two nuclear-armed neighbours engaged in a days-long military confrontation that threatened to escalate into a wider conflict before the United States brokered a ceasefire.

Although the ceasefire has largely held for more than a year, tensions continue to simmer as India keeps the bilateral water-sharing treaty in abeyance.

Pakistan has warned that any attempt by India to divert or block its share of river waters would be treated as an "act of war."