The closing ceremony of the 44th Pakistan Army Rifle Association (PARA) Central Meet took place on Thursday at the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) in Jhelum.
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir attended as the Chief Guest. The prestigious shooting event was held from October 14 to November 28, 2024, with over 2,000 participants from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Armed Forces (including Rangers from Sindh and Punjab), provincial teams from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, the Federal Rifle Association, Lahore Garrison Shooting Gallery (LGSG), and civilian competitors.
COAS and Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, who served as Guest of Honor, presented trophies and medals to winners and runners-up across various categories.
In the Inter-Services matches, Pakistan Army secured victories in three contests, including the CJCSC, COAS, and CNS matches, while Pakistan Air Force claimed the CAS contest. Pakistan Army also won the overall Championship Trophy.
The FTR team trophy was awarded to the Pakistan Army, led by Lieutenant General Ahsan Gulrez. Naik Waseem Ahmed Khan of Pakistan Army received the President’s Cup National Challenge Trophy, while the Prime Minister's ‘Skills at Arms’ Big Bore National Challenge was won by Pakistan Air Force. The Azad Kashmir Regiment earned first place in the para firing matches (infantry squad).
The highest military shooting honor, the ‘Master at Arms’ Trophy, was awarded to Sepoy Aftab Ahmed of the Punjab Regiment. The ‘Best Shot Match Trophy’ for Groups 2 and 3 went to Lance Dafadar Muhammad Imran of Cavalry and Havaldar Fateh Ullah Khan of the EME Battalion, respectively.
COAS praised the participants for their outstanding marksmanship, emphasizing that shooting proficiency is a fundamental skill for professional soldiers and should remain a core objective of military training.
Upon his arrival, the COAS was received by the Commander of Rawalpindi Corps.
