The Pakistan Army Public Relations (ISPR) has said that statements made by key senior politicians regarding Corcommander Peshawar are "...
The Pakistan Army Public Relations (ISPR) has said that statements made by key senior politicians regarding Corcommander Peshawar are "extremely inappropriate".
A statement issued by the ISPR said, "The Peshawar Corps is a prominent formation of the Pakistan Army. The Peshawar Corps has been playing a leading role in the national war on terror for two decades."
The statement said, "Leadership of this important corps has always been entrusted to the best professionals. The recent statements of important senior politicians regarding the Peshawar Corps Commander are highly inappropriate."
"Such statements negatively affect the morale and dignity of the military and the leadership," the ISPR said.
The statement said that "brave soldiers and officers of the Armed Forces of Pakistan are always putting their lives on the line to protect the sovereignty and integrity of the country".
The Pakistan Army public relations department said senior national political leaders were expected to refrain from making such controversial statements against the agency.
'Army is showing tolerance'
Speaking to media after the statement, Director General (DG) ISPR Major General Babar Iftikhar said, "It has been laid down in the law and in due course, the appointment will be made on time under the constitution and law."
"Making this post a topic of discussion for no reason, talking about it everywhere without any reason, is tantamount to making this post controversial, which is neither in the interest of the country nor in the interest of our institution," he said.
The DG ISPR said, "I once again request that this matter not be made the subject of discussion for no reason."
"The statement clarifies in detail, especially in the last few days that our senior political leadership has on a number of occasions made statements that are highly inappropriate," he said.
"We as an institution have been showing tolerance for a long time and have been saying over and over again, urging people not to drag the army into politics and not to make it part of the political dialogue," he said.
Maj. Gen. Babar Iftikhar said, “Our country's security challenges are enormous. Our forces are playing a very important role in the security of the eastern, western and northern borders and internal security and the focus of all our leadership is on these responsibilities. And is above the security of his country.
"As an institution, we have no say in whatever the political situation is," he said.
'The role of the armed forces will always be good for the people'
The DG ISPR said in a statement that the people of Pakistan love their Armed Forces and the role of the Armed Forces will always be good for the people.
He said that there could be no rift in the role of the armed forces and the people, adding that in the last few days, the leadership of all political parties had made statements against the leadership of the armed forces.
He said that our security challenges are so great that we cannot get involved in the politics of the country if there is no room for forgiveness in the security of the country.
The DG ISPR said that if anyone thinks that there could be division within the army then he does not even know about the army, the whole army is engaged in a series.
He said that the army looks at its army chief, no one should have any doubt that one can create division within the army.
'Criticism on social media is not propaganda'
He said that clear Kurdish criticism is not a problem with legitimate criticism, especially criticism on social media is not propaganda, clear Kurdish command position in any rank within the army is important.
He said that command of any corps is an important post after army chief, 70% of our army is deployed, anti-terrorism operations are being carried out in different places, we have achieved a lot in the war against terrorism.
The DG ISPR said that early elections are to be decided by the politicians, the army has no role, politicians are capable of sitting down and making better decisions.
He said that whenever the army was called in for a political issue, the issue became controversial and politicians could decide the election by sitting down.
Major General Babar Iftikhar said that politicians would offer their services if they call the army for security during the election.
He said that the army never calls politicians for a meeting, when the army is requested then the army chief has to meet.
He said that all the responsibility in this regard lies with the politicians.
He said that the visits of DG ISI are not opened, the visits go on in the background, meetings are held with the intelligence chiefs of all the countries and there is intelligence sharing.
The DG ISPR said that no ambiguity should be created in such cases.
"Our officers, the youth, are far from society, and when rumors and misinformation about the institution reach them, it reaches them," he said.
He said that such statements affect the morale of the organization, officers and men are one, the standard of our leadership is very high, our men have faith in their army chief and commander.
The DG ISPR said that every rank of the army has given evidence, every soldier is affected by the criticism on the leadership, the center of gravity of the army is the army chief.
He said that criticism of the post of Army Chief without any reason has negative effects.
Recent statements by politicians
No specific politician was named in the statement issued by ISPR, but Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed on behalf of PPP co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz. Released after the statement given.
Corps Commander Peshawar Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed was the head of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from 16 June 2019 to 19 October 2021.
Former President Asif Ali Zardari, during a press conference in Karachi yesterday, had said in response to a question about Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed that "there is a poor standing line".
He later issued an explanatory statement stating that the words were used "unknowingly".
Speaking to media outside the Islamabad High Court, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz had said in response to a question about the appointment of Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed as Army Chief, "What can I say in this regard, however. It is also good for the people of Pakistan and the Armed Forces of Pakistan that if a competent person without any blemish becomes the head of the Armed Forces of Pakistan then the people will salute the Army.
He had said that the institution of Pakistan Army is respectable for us, the whole nation looks after the forces of Pakistan for the security and stability of Pakistan.
The PML-N vice-president had said this when asked about the statement of Defense Minister Khawaja Asif in which he had said that the name of Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed could also be suggested for the next Army Chief.
Maryam Nawaz, while addressing a rally in Fateh Jang last week, had also criticized Imran statement in the podcast calling the intelligence chief an 'eye and ear'.
The PML-N vice-president had said, "We know that he was not only your eye and ear but also your hand through which he strangled his political opponents."
No comments
Thanks