DG ISPR vows to respond ‘bare handedly’ to PTI rhetoric; Sounds the death knell for ‘mentally ill’ Imran’s politics
Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry of DG ISPR speaks in an interview with Sky News. Photo: screenshot
ISLAMABAD:
Chief military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry on Friday attacked incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan, calling him a “threat to national security” and warning that no one would be allowed to incite the public to oppose the armed forces.
Khan’s ‘anti-army’ rhetoric has crossed the boundaries of politics and now poses a direct threat to the security of the nation, the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said at a press conference in Rawalpindi. He added that the military found it necessary to address the “creeping threat to national security.”
“Who are you? What message do you want to send? Who do you think you are?” » joked Lt. Gen. Chaudhry while addressing Khan. He described Khan as a “sick person” and argued: “They [PTI] have a comical obsession with the Pakistani army. They don’t talk about the real issues, and that’s their whole policy. »
“We cannot allow them to entrench the business of fake news and lies in the country,” the military spokesperson said, adding that a dangerous narrative was being spread. “This narrative that the military is the state is false. The military is not the state; the government is supreme.”
Lt Gen Chaudhry said the PTI’s narrative relied heavily on sensationalism, misinformation and systematic distortion of facts – elements that were further amplified by influencers allegedly aligned with the party and boosted by the Indian and Afghan social media ecosystems. “Under what law, rule or constitutional provision can this be permitted? » asked Lieutenant General Chaudhry.
“This threat emanates from the delusional mindset of a person who has become a captive of his own ego, thinking that his wishes are greater than those of the State of Pakistan,” the military spokesperson said, apparently referring to Khan. “His ego, his wishes and his frustrations have grown so much that he thinks the world would cease to exist without him.”
The DG ISPR added that it would be “a bit strange to see this coming from me, but the narrative this person is promoting is now not about politics, but has become a matter of national security.”
According to Lt. Gen. Chaudhry, it was “very important” for the military’s media wing to clarify, remove all ambiguities and doubts, and say what needs to be said. “We need to understand how this narrative works and, unfortunately, how it works in deep collusion with external actors.”
“To understand this, I will first set the stage by repeating something that the armed forces have said time and again, that we are the armed forces of Pakistan, we do not represent any ethnicity, we do not represent any language, religious tendency, political thought or school of thought. We have people from all parts of Pakistan, from all religions, from all sects, from all languages and from all political views, but we put all that aside once we carry this uniform.
“It is our pride, it is our honor; we fight, we die daily, not for any language, region or political point of view. We fight and die daily for the people of Pakistan, for the integrity of Pakistan. And we say this very clearly, and we also do not come from the elite class of Pakistan, we belong to the middle, lower middle and poor socio-economic classes; we do not carry the flag of any political actor, class or elitism; these are your armed forces, and we are absolutely clear about the character of the armed forces of Pakistan, from the soldier to its field marshal,” he said.
The military spokesperson added that if anyone attacks the armed forces and their leadership in the name of their ego, delusional mentality and narcissistic way of thinking, “then we will also come and fight with our bare hands, there should be no doubt about that,” he said.
“That’s why we ask you again and again: you have to do your politics. We respect all political parties and all personalities, but please keep your politics away from the armed forces of Pakistan; don’t drag us into this. We don’t want to be part of your politics. That’s why we need to communicate certain things clearly.”
Lt Gen Chaudhry then highlighted how Khan’s rhetoric was harming the armed forces.
“First, no one can be allowed to create fissures between the people and the armed forces of Pakistan. Why? Because this is the only armed force you have. You have no choice; this country has no other armed forces. You can have an opinion or an observation about the forces, and if it can be an observation or a constructive criticism, you are welcome. But that does not allow you to incite or provoke the people of Pakistan against the army and try to create a gap between the two.”
He said that it is the armed forces that stand between the Hindutva mentality in India and its hegemonic conception, and the people of Pakistan.
Continuing his criticism of the PTI founder, Lt Gen Chaudhry said that whenever people meet him, he sets aside the law, Constitution and rules to promote a narrative against Pakistan, particularly targeting the armed forces and their leaders.
The DG ISPR stressed that it was up to the government, not the army, to decide whether to restrict meetings at Adiala jail or take action on Khan’s social media accounts.
He warned that coordinated attempts to create distrust between the armed forces and the Pakistani public through nefarious designs would not be tolerated.
The military spokesperson highlighted the strategic role of the armed forces in defending the country against external and internal threats, warning that attacks on the army directly weaken national security.
“It is the armed forces,” he said, “that stand between the people of Pakistan and India’s Hindutva-led hegemonic designs.” “These same forces stand between the nation and the khawarij, the terrorists, the Fitna al-Khawarij and the Fitna al-Hindustan operating from Afghanistan,” he added.
He then expanded on what he called the PTI’s “anti-state agenda”, linking its support networks in parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to illegal activities, including drug trafficking, kidnapping, extortion and widespread use of unpaid vehicles.
The DG ISPR added that hostile foreign elements were exploiting the PTI narrative to malign Pakistan internationally, warning that such collaboration – intentional or not – served the interests of adversaries rather than those of the Pakistani people.
He reiterated that the Pakistan Army remained committed to protecting the country and would continue to fight propaganda, disinformation and any attempt to destabilize the state.
“You are talking about Article 17 of the Constitution and freedom of expression, it clearly says that freedom of expression and political activity is permitted, subject to reasonable restrictions. Under reasonable restrictions, nothing can be permitted that is contrary to the security and integrity of the state.
“Article 19 says that freedom of expression is permitted, it absolutely is, but such freedom of expression cannot be permitted if it is against the security, integrity and defense of Pakistan. It says [in the Constitution] or not? So, under what law, constitution or rules, when you meet a convict, he gives a speech against the army and its leaders? This is beyond our understanding. »
“He then writes a letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), asking it not to enter into any agreement with the country so that the state can default. He then resorts to civil disobedience, does not pay electricity bills, so that anarchy spreads in the country. Let me give you another example from a few days ago: he (Imran) tells his supporters to target the leaders of the army – the army which has opposed an economy and armed forces eight times larger than it during Operation Marsoos and Marka-i-Haq and in doing so, they earned the respect of the nation.
He then questioned who would actually benefit from such a narrative, adding that anyone living in Pakistan could not have such an agenda against the country.
Earlier, he congratulated everyone on the appointment of the Chief of Defense Force. The head of the defense forces started work. In the current war situation, there is a need to work in a coordinated manner across all sectors, including land, air, naval and cyber.
This step was a long-standing necessity, other countries also have such seats. This measure on the instructions of Parliament constitutes an important step in the defense of the country.
