Pakistan Army is the country’s military, and all political parties are honorable: Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, DG ISPR, briefs the media on security-related issues and states that the army is focused on eradicating terrorism.
ISLAMABAD:
The chief military spokesperson stated on Tuesday that all politicians and parties were “respectable” and that the Pakistan Army was a “national army”.
Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry briefed the media at his first news conference as the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on the present security situation on the eastern and western borders as well as other professional topics.
However, the ISPR chief also discussed the army’s involvement in the Punjab elections, a social media campaign against the military hierarchy, and the potential for disciplining some retired generals during the question-and-answer session.
A national army, the Pakistan Army is… All political parties are honourable to us politicians, Maj-Gen Chaudhry stated in response to a query. He emphasized that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Asim Munir had maintained that the Pakistani people were the source of power and that everyone had the right to voice their opinions.
“The soldiers won’t want to join a single philosophy or political group. In the army, every region is represented. The army’s cooperation with them extends to operations against terrorism, he emphasized.
The ISPR DG stated that employing the army for a certain political or religious purpose could bring anarchy in response to a different question about the online campaign against the army.
He added that neither the army nor the public would want it to be affiliated with any particular political party. Political leaders ought to improve our way of thinking. Giving the army a political hue will not be appropriate because of their non-political relationship.
The ISPR DG responded, “Veterans (retired soldiers) are our asset,” when asked about Lt-Gen (retd) Amjad Shoaib’s detention. They gave their lives to support the Pakistani army. Veteran organizations are philanthropic organizations rather than political ones. Politics shouldn’t be done by them.
He stated that the federal government deployed the troops in accordance with Article 245 of the Constitution with regard to the provision of military forces for the Punjab election.
The chief military spokesperson informed reporters that “the view that the Ministry of Defence had told the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Supreme Court [in this matter] is based on the facts on the ground.
In response to a question regarding the current army chief’s remark in parliament that “We should talk about our Pakistan instead of Naya or Purana Pakistan,” the DG ISPR clarified that the army chief had said that in order to address the challenges, all the country’s stakeholders needed to come to an agreement.
Gen. Chaudhry responded that propaganda against the military authority was being carried out on social media by anonymous accounts when asked if Imran Khan had become a security issue and if there would be an emergency or martial law in the nation after Eidul Fitr. “Now it is up to you to decide how you see it.”
The head of ISPR was also questioned about whether Gen. (retd.) Qamar Javed Bajwa and Lt. Gen. (retd.) Faiz Hameed should face court martial proceedings because it was believed that both former generals had gone above their authority and were to blame for the current situation.
When asked where to find army-related news, Maj-Gen Chaudhry said, “keep your eyes only on the press release of the ISPR” since that was the only reliable source. “There are numerous active phony ISPR accounts on social media… only pay attention to legitimate accounts. By doing this, you will avoid making assumptions and having anxious thoughts.
He emphasized the army’s own intricate mechanism. The system is founded on facts and due procedure, therefore each objection is addressed. Its goal is to ensure that all parties receive justice. Its goal is to avoid acting based on rumors.
The ISPR DG continued by stating that although Pakistan and India had different defense budgets due to the neighboring nation’s longstanding greater budget, every single soldier in the Pakistani army was committed to the spirit.
He claimed that India’s aggressive goals and unfounded accusations could not alter the course of history. It is impossible to alter Kashmir’s officially acknowledged disputed status. Kashmir has never been and never will be a part of India.
The Pakistani Army is capable of defense, and if required, the war may be carried into the enemy’s territory, the army chief stated during his first visit to the Line of Control (LoC), adding that “Any adventure will be met with strong response.”
In a press conference to address the media on security-related issues, the ISPR DG stated that the Indian authorities launched an attack in Pulwama with their own planning. He specifically denounced India’s 56 ceasefire violations along the LoC.
Maj-Gen Chaudhry said that the neighboring nation had committed 25 technical air breaches, three airspace violations, six minor ceasefire violations, and 22 speculative firing events. Pakistan, meanwhile, downed six Indian espionage quadcopters.
The DG ISPR emphasized that Pakistan was constantly ready to fully retaliate against such Indian aggressions. “India’s oppressive ambitions [in illegally Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir], baseless allegations, and false claims cannot change historical facts,” he declared.
RAW may use Pakistan’s fault lines as an advantage.
The army commander made his first trip to the LoC after taking office, he added, “sending a clear message that Pakistan’s forces are prepared to defend every corner of the country.” “We can move this conflict into the enemy’s land if necessary. We are a battle-tested army, he insisted, and our officers command our forces from the front.
The DG ISPR emphasized that India had a well-planned attempt in Pulwama in February 2019, which was thwarted by Pakistani troops’ “operational preparedness,” which was confirmed by their own governor Satya Pal Malik and ex-army commander.
No ‘no-go’ zone
The ISPR DG praised the security forces’ counterterrorism efforts at his press briefing. He emphasized that those responsible for the acts of terrorism, including terrorists, plotters, and facilitators, were also identified and detained.
He paid respect to the 117 injured officers and soldiers and the 137 officers and men who were martyred during the operations since January. The heroic sons and their families who gave up their precious life for the peace and security of the nation are honored by the entire nation, he added.
“No one should doubt the resolve, commitment, and capabilities of the Pakistan Army, law-enforcement agencies (LEAs), and intelligence agencies to eradicate terrorism,” the official said. “Our effective war against terrorism will continue until the last terrorist is destroyed.”
“Scholars and media have also played their full role, which is commendable” in the fight against terrorism, according to General Chaudhry, who noted that they had all “rejected the false narrative of the TTP [Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan]”.
No person or armed organization should be permitted to impose their own laws, he said. “Only with the supremacy and observance of the law do societies develop.”
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has reported 219 incidents of terrorist activity in the current year, followed by 206 in Balochistan, six in Sindh, and five in Punjab.
General Chaudhry also disclosed that 8,269 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) in all had been carried out, and that as a result, 1,535 terrorists had been killed or captured.
Of these, 4,040 of the IBOs were carried out in Balochistan, 3,591 in K-P, 119 in Punjab, and 519 in Sindh. Since January, the army, police, and LEAs have performed more than 70 IBOs each day on average.
He said that the suicide bomber in the North Waziristan Mari Petroleum Company blast on February 11 had been identified as a result of effective IBOs against terrorist networks.
The ISPR DG stated that the suicide bomber had been a member of Jamaatul Ahrar and that the TTP had worked with them to carry out the attack on January 23 in the Peshawar Police Lines.
Gen. Chaudhry discussed the attack on the Karachi Police Office Building on February 23. The three assailants were all put to death. He added that bombs and other ammunition were also recovered from the three attackers’ masterminds, who were later detained.
Border barriers
In an effort to stop terrorist activity, the ISPR DG informed the media that the majority of the border fencing work had been finished along a total of 3,141 kilometers.
More than 98% of the 2,611 km of Pakistan-Afghanistan border work has been finished under border management, he claimed, while more than 85% of the work on the Pakistan-Iran border has been finished.
In order to stop terrorists from crossing the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, 85% of the forts have been finished, while 33% of the forts on the Pakistan-Iran border have been finished, and construction on the remaining forts is progressing quickly.
The ISPR DG stated, “The Pakistan Army has completed demining in 65% of the tribal areas in K-P.”
He also emphasized the initiative for socioeconomic development that is now being carried out in the region, particularly in the tribal areas of K-P, to ensure stability and unbroken peace. “A total of 3,654 developmental projects were launched in K-P at a cost of Rs162 billion,” he claimed.
“Around 85% of the projects have been finished, including the building and repair of marketplaces, educational facilities, hospitals, and communication infrastructure. In addition to this, 95% of the afflicted people has now returned home,” he said.
“The peace and order situation in Balochistan has improved compared to earlier,” he said, emphasizing that “the security of CPEC and other projects is being ensured by the Pakistani forces and other law-enforcement agencies by making great sacrifices.”
Army costs will be cut
He also disclosed that the Pakistan Army had chosen to lower all expenses for the benefit of the economy following a thorough examination of its operational and, in particular, non-operational costs in light of the current economic climate.
“In this regard, along with the reduction in petroleum, ration, construction, non-operational procurement, training, and non-operational movement, simulator training, and online meetings are being conducted using modern technology to reduce costs in this area, as well,” he said.
The ISPR DG argued that while “everyone was entitled to their opinion,” the nation was the source of “real power” in response to a journalist’s question on former army leader Gen (retd) Qamar Jawed Bajwa’s continued influence over the military.
Gen. Chaudhry held his first news conference since replacing Lt. Gen. Babar Iftikhar as the ISPR DG in December. He insisted that the army respected all political parties and was committed to eliminating terrorism from the nation.
