Army Chief Qamar Bajwa won’t take extension, will retire in Nov: DG ISPR

Rawalpindi: Director-General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar on Thursday unequivocally said the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Bajwa will not accept an extension and retire on November 29.

Addressing a press briefing and taking questions, DG ISPR said the army chief Qamar Bajwa did not seek an extension and will retire in November. He added the word neutral doesn’t represent the role of the army but ‘apolitical’.

Answering a question, Major Iftikhar rebuffed BBC’s story and called it ‘concocted’. He said the army chief did not go to PM House on April 9 as stated in the story.

He turned down allegations that the army chief was involved in any kind of development for toppling Imran Khan’s government and said evidence of such allegations must be brought about.

DG ISPR said the courts opened at midnight on their own and the judiciary is not under Pakistan Army.

He said Pakistan’s existence lies in strengthened democracy and categorically said there will be no martial law in Pakistan ever again.

He added that the elected governments have moral authority as they come through the votes of the people.

He said what has happened in the past days is part of the constitutional process, and it is wrong to drag the army into it. He commented that the army is nobody to give NRO to anybody.

Answering a question on National Security Council’s (NSC) press release, DG ISPR said the official statement of NSC was the army’s stance.

He added the press release contained what was concluded in the meeting and the army’s input was there. He asked, “Was there a word of conspiracy [in the official statement]?”

He said the government can declassify the minutes of the meeting when it wants.

Speaking on three options ahead of the no-confidence vote, DG ISPR denied that the establishment had put any options before ex-prime minister Imran Khan.

He asserted that the options were put forward by the Prime Minister (PM) Office, not by the establishment.

Iftikhar said the PM Office approached the army chief on the political deadlock following which the army chief and DG ISI went to PM Office where three options were discussed.

He said the army chief went to PDM leadership with the third option [withdrawal of no-confidence motion and immediate elections after the dissolution of assembly] but the opposition parties refused.

Responding to a question, DG ISPR said nuclear security is not linked with a certain political party. He said the political leadership has always made progress in the nuclear programme with complete honesty.

He ruled out that there is any threat to the nuclear programme and urged to avoid the topic in political discussions.

He said the army chief had asked the political leadership during an in-camera briefing and meeting on Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) provisional province issue to keep the institution out of politics.

Major Iftikhar said the army leadership was taken into confidence before Imran Khan’s Russia visit. He said it was not in anyone’s wildest dreams that the war would begin. However, he added that the army was on board.

In response to a query, DG ISPR said the United States (US) did not ask for the bases from Pakistan however ‘our answer would have been the same as the prime minister’.

DG ISPR said the armed forces and their leadership is being targeted to create division and discord among the military and the people.

He said constructive criticism is welcomed, but hatching conspiracy based on mere rumours to malign the armed forces is not acceptable.

Referring to past bashing in public rallies, he said the political leadership should avoid using rough language against the army chief and the institution.

To a question, DG ISPR said the incumbent government and related institutions must take action against the tarnishing of the armed forces. He said, “When the army takes action then it is said that it is exceeding its limits.”

He said the interior ministry should look into the security issue of the ex-prime minister Imran Khan.

DG ISPR said the smear campaign against the army has surged, adding it has been happening for a long time, citing EU DisinfoLab. Major Iftikhar said the laws in this regard should be implemented and new laws should be made.

DG ISPR said the army chief is the head of an institution and if his reputation is malign, the incumbent government is responsible for taking up the matter. He added the army doesn’t have a ‘tongue’ and it cannot represent itself in talk shows.

DG ISPR said the external linkages are amplifying what is happening against the military on social media. He added that negativity is being spread rapidly and youth, not so well-informed about the geopolitical situation, is getting infected.

He said the Pakistan Army is a big target in the disinformation campaign and elements are trying to create a rift between the masses and the army.

Major Iftikhar said constructive criticism is welcomed, but hatching a conspiracy on the basis of mere rumours to malign the armed forces is not acceptable.

He made it clear that armed forces derive strength from public support, without which the concept of national security becomes meaningless.

DG ISPR said foes of Pakistan have failed to create division between the armed forces and the people for the last seven decades, and they will never let that happen in the future as well.

He urged the people and the political parties to refrain from dragging the military into politics. He said, “We want to stay out of the politics, and we should be kept out of this discourse.”

To a question, he said the matter of diplomatic cable being used politically should be asked from the foreign office, not the army.

Commenting on reports of division within the institution, he said 0.7 million personnel look in the direction where the army chief looks.

DG ISPR said that national security is directly linked with political stability.

He said the army chief was not feeling well which is why he did not attend the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Major Iftikhar said no dialogues are underway with TTP and added that the militia has been stopped in its tracks.

He added the army had great relations with the previous government and the army chief had cordial relations with Imran Khan. Answering a question, he said the army doesn’t have a choice to work with any government but it is bound to do it with every government.

To a question, DG ISPR said the public rallies are part of the democratic process and the politicians need to look into the matters of elections and other things.