Rawalpindi, December 23,2025: Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Tuesday warned that hostile elements are increasingly resorting to indirect and ambiguous methods, including the use of proxies, to exploit internal fault lines instead of engaging in direct confrontation.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief made these remarks during his visit to the National Defence University (NDU). During the visit, the COAS-CDF was briefed by a panel comprising civil and military participants of the ongoing National Security and War Course, who shared their academic perspectives on emerging national security challenges and the imperatives to address them.
In his interaction with the participants, Field Marshal Asim Munir outlined the complex and evolving global, regional, and internal security landscape, emphasizing that Pakistan faces broad and persistent challenges across multiple domains. He noted that these challenges span conventional and sub-conventional warfare, intelligence, cyber and information operations, as well as military and economic dimensions.
“These challenges require comprehensive multi-domain preparedness, continuous adaptation, and close synergy among all elements of national power,” the Field Marshal said, according to the ISPR statement. He stressed that future leaders must be trained to recognize, anticipate, and counter such multi-layered and cognitive threats.
The army chief further highlighted the importance of clear decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, adding that intellectual resilience is a critical attribute for operating effectively in today’s contested and diffused security environment.
Field Marshal Munir also lauded the role of the National Defence University as a premier institution for developing strategic thinkers capable of translating rigorous academic training into sound policy formulation and effective operational outcomes. He underscored that professional military education remains central to strengthening institutional capacity, fostering indigenous capabilities, and ensuring long-term national resilience, the statement added.
