Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Tuesday warned that hostile actors are increasingly using indirect and ambiguous tactics, including proxies, to exploit internal divisions, rather than engaging in direct confrontation.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the army chief made these remarks during his visit to the National Defence University (NDU), where he was briefed by a panel of civil and military participants of the ongoing National Security and War Course. The participants shared their academic perspectives on national security challenges and strategies to address them.

Field Marshal Munir outlined the complex and evolving nature of global, regional, and internal security threats, noting that the country faces broad and persistent challenges across multiple domains. “These challenges span conventional, sub-conventional, intelligence, cyber, information, military, economic, and other areas, requiring comprehensive multi-domain preparedness, continuous adaptation, and coordination among all elements of national power,” he said.

He emphasised that future leaders must be trained to recognise, anticipate, and counter such multi-layered cognitive challenges. Decision-making under uncertainty, combined with clarity and intellectual resilience, is essential for operating effectively in today’s contested and diffused security environment, the CDF added.

Munir praised NDU’s role as a premier institution for developing strategic thinkers capable of translating rigorous academic training into effective policy and operational outcomes. He underscored that professional military education remains crucial for strengthening institutional capacity, fostering indigenous capability, and ensuring long-term national resilience.