In his first press conference after taking over as Director General (DG) of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Tuesday reiterated the Army’s stand that it does not have ties to any political party or ideology. There is no inclination towards As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demands interference in politics from the establishment.
Addressing the press at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the ISPR DG said, “Pakistan Army is a national army. All political parties are respectful to us […] but we do not belong to any political party or ideology. They don’t lean towards.”
Army spokespersons have repeatedly denied that the military is biased as political parties accuse each other of backing the establishment.
“If any army is used anywhere in the world to advance a particular political ideology, it creates anarchy,” said the ISPR DG and Pakistan. Demanded the political leadership to support the professional thinking of the army.
The ISPR DG added that there is a constitutional and apolitical relationship between the government and the army – a position the army has long stood by. This non-political relationship should not be given a political color.
With several retired soldiers supporting the PTI, the ISPR DG said ex-servicemen’s organizations should not become politicized as their aim is to ensure the welfare of ex-servicemen and address their issues. To highlight.
Indian Propaganda
During his press conference, Major General Chaudhry said that India’s propaganda against Pakistan continues as it criticized the neighboring country for ceasefire violations.
The ISPR DG said that India had committed several ceasefire violations along the LoC this year and Pakistan had also shot down six Indian spy quadcopters.
He said that Pakistan has taken UN observers to the Line of Control (LoC) many times while India has not.
India’s aggressive ambitions and baseless accusations cannot change history, India cannot change the historical status of Kashmir, if India does any adventure, Pakistani forces will give a strong response.
He recalled that Army Chief General Asim Munir visited the LoC on his first visit after becoming the Army Chief.
“Pakistan has fought a war against terrorism for two decades. Every Pakistani soldier is devoted to faith, piety and jihad in the cause of Allah.”
Referring to Operation Swift Retort in 2019 – in which the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) shot down two Indian aircraft inside Pakistani airspace and captured an Indian pilot on the ground – a military spokesman said Pakistan had Can defend the land.
He said that Pakistan’s situation is important in India’s internal affairs, adding that the Indian government also talks about Pakistan’s politics to divert attention from its own problems.
He said that India is doing false flag operation and propaganda against Pakistan. Without elaborating, he said, “Some local elements advance India’s agenda knowingly or unknowingly.”
Report to SC based on ‘ground realities’
In response to a question, he said that the Ministry of Defense had already briefed the Supreme Court regarding the deployment of the army for the elections, which was based on ground realities.
The Defense Ministry briefed the Supreme Court last week on why the government could not provide army personnel for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — and the report has not yet been made public.
The government has repeatedly said that the elections cannot be held not only because of the ongoing economic crisis but also because of the threat of terrorism and because the army is engaged in anti-terror operations, it will not deploy security forces for the elections. Cannot be allocated.
Asked what was in the report submitted by the Ministry of Defense to the Supreme Court, Major General Chaudhry said that if the briefing given to Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandial was required to be made public, it would have already been disclosed. . .
He said that these negotiations were held only between institutions.
“It is not in the interest of the nation, the country and the army to push the armed forces into politics,” the army spokesman remarked, noting that his predecessors had also remained intact.
Terrorism situation
At the start of the news conference – his first since taking office – he said his aim was to explain the military’s professional activities, including an analysis of its counter-terrorism operations.
“Links between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch [insurgent] organizations and foreign intelligence agencies have been established.”
He said that the civil and military agencies of Pakistan took great measures against the terrorists.
He said that during this year, 436 incidents took place due to the scourge of terrorism in which 293 people were martyred and 523 were injured.
During this period, security forces conducted 8,279 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in which 1,535 terrorists were killed. He added that about 70 IBOs are being conducted daily.
He asserted that there is no no-go area in Pakistan. However, terrorists were disturbing the peace of the country.
Referring to a suicide attack on a mosque in Peshawar in January that claimed more than 70 lives, the ISPR DG said the blast was carried out by banned militant group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar at the behest of the TTP. was
“The attacker belonged to Afghanistan. The facilitators have been arrested. These terrorists were trained in different areas of Afghanistan.”
He said that the mastermind of the attack on the Karachi Police Chief’s office has also been arrested, adding that the terrorists had taken Rs 3 million to carry out the attack.
DG ISPR further said that 137 security personnel have been martyred and 117 have been injured so far this year. He asserted that Pakistan’s war against terrorism is unprecedented and will continue till the end of the last terrorist.
“Terrorist organizations and their facilitators have no ideology, religion or belief. They attack mosques, police, religious scholars, media persons and civilians,” he said.
Major General Chaudhry said that 98% of the work on the 2611 km long fence between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been completed, while 85% of the fence on the border with Iran has been completed.
Additionally, 65 percent of the tribal areas have been demined and 95 percent of the population displaced by terrorism has returned to their homes.
“No individual or group will be allowed to take the law into their own hands,” he stressed. “Attempts to sabotage the CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) and other projects are being thwarted, with full security being provided to all projects.
“Various social welfare programs have been announced following cuts in the army budget. Navy and Air Force have also participated in relief activities.”
DG ISPR said that the army has reviewed its expenditure in view of the economic situation of the country. Petroleum, ration and non-operational movements are being reduced.
“The journey to lasting peace has begun.”
