COAS Gen Asim Munir calls shooting skill the ‘hallmark of a professional soldier’

RAWALPINDI: According to a statement by the army’s media wing, Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir has termed shooting skills as “the hallmark of a professional soldier.”

“Mastery of marksmanship should be the core of basic military training objectives,” he said while addressing the participants of the concluding ceremony of the Pakistan Army Rifle Association’s central meeting held at the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) in Jhelum on Thursday.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations said the mega shooting event was organised from October 14 to November 28, 2024.

The army chief appreciated the shooters for their “excellent” standard of marksmanship.

Earlier, on his arrival, COAS Munir was received by Corps Commander Rawalpindi.

More than 2,000 shooters from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Civil Armed Forces including Rangers (Sindh and Punjab), teams ex-Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Federal Rifle Association, Lahore Garrison Shooting Gallery (LGSG) and civilians participated in the competition.

COAS Munir and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu presented trophies and medals to the award winners and runners-up in each category.

In the inter-services matches, Pakistan Army won three matches including CJCSC, COAS and CNS matches while PAF won the CAS competition. Pakistan Army won the overall championship trophy.

The FTR Team Trophy was won by Pakistan Army under the leadership of Lieutenant General Ahsan Gulrez.

The trophy of the President’s Cup National Challenge match was given to Naik Waseem Ahmed Khan of Pakistan Army. Pakistan Air Force won the Prime Minister Skills at Arms Big Bore National Challenge. Azad Kashmir Regiment won the first prize in Para Firing Matches (Infantry Squad). The highest military award for shooting, ‘The Master at Arms’ trophy, was awarded to Sepoy Aftab Ahmed of Punjab Regiment. The Best Shot Match trophy was awarded to Lance Corporal Muhammad Imran of Group 2 and Group 3 Cavalry and Havaldar Fatehullah Khan of EME Battalion.