The army on Friday denied reports of martial law being imposed in the country after nearly four days of political unrest triggered by the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan, which saw army installations closed.
I want to say clearly that General Asim Munir and the army leadership wholeheartedly support democracy and will continue to do so. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry told JEE News that imposing martial law is out of the question.
A top army spokesperson said that the army chief and the top leadership of the army have full faith in democracy.
In response to reports circulating that army officers had resigned due to the ongoing chaos, the spokesman also dismissed these speculations.
Major General Chaudhry said that despite all the efforts of internal miscreants and external enemies, the army is united under the leadership of Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.
Dreams of creating divisions in the army will remain dreams. The army spokesperson added that no one has resigned or disobeyed any order.
The statement came as Khan criticized the army and his supporters raised the stakes by attacking military targets – torching the corps commander’s residence in Lahore and the army headquarters in Rawalpindi. Attacked the entrance.
Khan’s arrest was followed by violent protests, in which around a dozen people were killed and scores injured. Law enforcement agencies then launched a crackdown against the PTI, arresting several activists and top leaders.
After supporters attacked military installations, the ISPR said May 9, 2023 – the day chaos erupted in the country after Khan’s arrest – would go down in history as a “dark chapter”.
The ISPR on the one hand called PTI leaders “hypocrites” for inciting its workers against the armed forces, and on the other hand praised the army for hiding its criticism.
The unrest in the country has stopped for now as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has granted blanket relief to Khan and barred authorities from arresting the PTI chief until Monday (May 15) morning. Later, the government asked them to arrest him, “if necessary”.
Responding to Khan’s fresh criticism of the army chief, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the PTI chairman’s latest statement against General Munir reflected his “lax mentality” towards the armed forces.
“His statement proves that he is the mastermind behind the events of May 9,” the prime minister said in a statement, criticizing Khan’s “baseless” allegations against a senior army official that he was killed. Planned to do.
