Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has stressed that future leaders must be trained and remain alert to recognize, anticipate, and counter multi-layered cognitive challenges.

He was interacting participants of ongoing National Security and War Course at the National Defence University, Islamabad today.

The Field Marshal highlighted that hostile elements increasingly employ indirect and ambiguous approaches, including the use of proxies to exploit internal fault lines, rather than overt confrontation.

He underscored that professional military education remains central to strengthening institutional capacity, fostering indigenous capability, and ensuring long-term national resilience.

The Field Marshal outlined the complex and evolving global, regional and internal security environment, emphasizing that the country faces broad and persistent challenges. He noted that these challenges span conventional, sub-conventional, intelligence, cyber, information, military, economic and other domains, requiring comprehensive multi-domain preparedness, continuous adaptation and synergy amongst all elements of national power.

Syed Asim Munir also highlighted that decision-making under uncertainty with clarity and intellectual resilience are critical attributes for operating in today’s contested and diffused security environment.

The Field Marshal lauded NDU’s role as a premier institution in developing strategic thinkers capable of translating rigorous training and academic insight into effective policy formulation and operational outcomes. He underscored that professional military education remains central to strengthening institutional capacity, fostering indigenous capability, and ensuring long-term national resilience.

On the occasion, the Field Marshal was briefed by panel of civil and military participants of the course on their academic perspective about challenges to national security and imperatives for overcoming them.

The Field Marshal appreciated the panels’ sharp analysis and conclusions and urged the participants to remain vigilant, adaptive, and steadfast in upholding the values of integrity, discipline, and selfless service.

Upon arrival, the Syed Asim Munir was warmly received by the President of the NDU.