A narcissist's narrative has become security threat, says DG ISPR

Director General of the Inter Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry congratulated the nation on the establishment of the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) headquarters, stating that it was one of the most important steps towards providing the requisite synergy and jointness for military operations in the country, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, the DG ISPR said that a narrative of a narcist and delusional man has become security threat as a sick man continued to speak against Security Forces which had defeated 8 times bigger country in Operation Bunanyal Marsoos. 

Lt Gen Chaudhry pointed that Imran’s rhetoric was harming the armed forces. He added that, “His ego, his wishes, and frustrations have grown to such an extent that he thinks that the world would cease to exist without him.” 

Without naming PTI leader, the DG ISPR said a narcists and a delusional person claimed his personality and dreams were above the state. His narrative has become security threat. He said tweets of a sick man were paddled by India media against Pakistan army. 

He showed a video clip containing Imran’s anti-army tweets to prove his point. Pointing out to certain social media accounts, the DG ISPR asked, from where are these accounts run? No one knows. And when PTI is asked about where the accounts are run from, they say they don’t know it either, but they completely own the narrative that is being spread through these accounts.

He said Security Forces does not belong to any ethnic, religious group and culture as people from all over the country and all cultures and religions were part of the Army. 

He said Pak Army jawans were laying their sacrifices for the people of the Pakistan as Pak Army come from lower middle class. 

He said a narcist is bent upon targeting Armed forces with an aim of creating gulf between army and the people of Pakistan but they will never succeed in it. He urged the Opposition not to drag forces into politics. He made it clear that country has one armed force and there was no alternative. 

He said Pak Army was keeping an eye to Hindutva and Khawarij threats on easter and western border. 

DG ISPR said in Pakistan jail rules were being held abeyance which is not followed in any other country. He said no state allow meeting with convicts. He said protest and politics are allowed but it should not be threat to security and sovereignty. 

He said a political party was targeting Amry which gave crushing defeat to 8 time bigger Army of India. He said a political party does not want that Amry act against Khawarij. He urged the party to speak over public issues. He said PTI narrative was being put up by Indian media day and night. 

He said that why a party was demanding talks with terrorists which has wreaked havoc in the country and martyred thousands of civilians and security personnels. 

To a question, DG ISPR said Pakistan Army is key institute of the state and it was their responsibility to tell the nation about the facts. 

He said remarks of a sick man is always against Amry. He said sick man who used to tell his party leaders that who will speak with Army is a traitor. "His statements have now become a threat to national security," said the military spokesman. 

He criticised that individual -- without taking any names -- saying: “That person’s politics is over. He is a prisoner of his own ego and impulses.” The DG ISPR reiterated that the Pakistan Army must be kept away from politics, stating: “We will not allow anyone to create a divide between the state and the people. The Pakistan Army stands between the people and the sedition of the terrorists.”

He further said that whoever attacks their own army must answer whether they intend to create space for an enemy’s forces. Emphasizing the Army’s resolve, he said: “Let it be absolutely clear: no one’s narrative will be allowed to prevail against the state any longer.”

The ISPR chief declared that the forces did not represent any form of regionalism, religious inclination, or political ideology. "We do not follow the agenda of any political actor or group," he maintained, adding that "a person’s identity" and personal ambitions are being placed above the state of Pakistan.

"It is time to put an end to this negative narrative." he declared. Lt Gen Chaudhry further said the jailed party chief declared his party workers traitors, who attended a course at the National Defence University (NDU). 

He said the Indian media is gleefully amplifying propaganda against the army chief. An individual is speaking against the army chief and attempting to create a divide between the people and the armed forces, said the DG. 

He also said that various social media accounts across the world were spreading false narratives. "The original narrative is being pushed by someone who is mentally unstable, and those running certain online networks continuously repost it."

He remarked that a certain party's mindset is such that democracy is acceptable only when they are in power; otherwise, they reject it entirely. Lt Gen Chaudhry said: "This same individual encouraged the public not to pay electricity bills and even urged overseas Pakistanis to stop remittances," adding that no narrative against the leadership of the Pakistan Army will be tolerated. "The Constitution does not allow making irresponsible statements on matters of national security."

He once again stressed that politics should be kept away from the Pakistan Army. "We are not working on anyone’s agenda — we are working for the defence and protection of the country. This certain individual discusses every single news item related to the army on social media. Please grow up!" 

The DG ISPR talked about a creeping national security threat that had become necessary for the military to address.

“That threat emanates from a delusional mindset of a delusional person who has become captive to his own ego, thinking that his wishes are bigger than those of the state of Pakistan,” Lt Gen Chaudhry said, in an apparent reference to incarcerated PTI founder, Imran Khan.

Lt Gen Chaudhry said 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 is working, and unfortunately, how it is working in deep collusion with external actors.”

DG ISPR added that if someone attacked the armed forces and its leadership for the sake of their ego, delusional mindset and narcissistic way of thinking, “then we will also come and fight, there should be no doubt about that,” he said. He said Pakistan Army will continue to protect the lives of the people of the Pakistan at the cost of their lives. 

Calling Imran a mental patient, the DG ISPR recalled how a tweet was posted on Imran’s X account two days ago, which went viral within minutes.

“A lot of unnamed, troll accounts are involved in making the post viral. These accounts are being operated from outside Pakistan. They carry forward this narrative, but they originate from this mental patient’s post”.

He said that the Indian media and the accounts linked to the Indian-intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) were making the posts viral.

“The Indian media is reporting against your army chief with such happiness. Who is providing this narrative to them? They air this narrative for hours. Why are they spending so much money on spreading the narrative of this delusional mindset of this narcissist? There is one reason, because he is speaking against the army and its chief. He is talking about creating a rift between the Pakistani army and the public.”

The DG ISPR added that Afghan social media, being facilitators of the khawarij, was also involved in spreading Imran’s anti-army rhetoric.

“Why wouldn’t they do it? Because someone here is saying things about the Pakistan army and its leadership, then why will they not do it? They all operate simultaneously, and then the international media picks up such news, too. It is a collusion because they have the same purpose and the same enemy, i.e. the Pakistan Army and its leadership.”

Referring to Imran’s harsh comments against PTI members who attended a function at the National Defence University (NDU) in Islamabad and terming them as traitors, the DG ISPR said: “By that logic, he is also saying that anyone in the ISPR and army is also a traitor, because they too went to NDU, he believes anyone who even is linked [to the army] is a traitor.”

The DG ISPR said: “I will again repeat that you can fool some of the people all the time, you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.”

He said the time had come for an end to the PTI’s political trickery. The military spokesperson also slammed the persistent speculation over the issue of the notification for the chief of defence forces and questioned the obsession with the army. He questioned why the PTI continued to talk about the army instead of the governance of its government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its performance against terrorism.“Please grow up. Talk about real issues.”

The spokesperson also criticised the PTI for its policy and stance on the issues of terrorism, Afghanistan and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. “Tell me, can the state’s security be sublet? Is appeasement a security policy?”

The DG ISPR quipped that if Kabul or New Delhi would be the ones to ensure Pakistan’s security.

“The world knows that security is only granted by standing tall against the evil, the aggressor, there is no other way … had appeasement granted security, Libya and Gaza wouldn’t be in the situation that they are in today.

“We know that without this state, we neither have any identity, nor any worth, nor any politics, that is why we are ready to sacrifice our lives every day, because we are absolutely clear

“Similarly, we are also clear that anyone’s person and politics cannot be above the state for us.”

The DG ISPR also wondered why the PTI and its founder called for talks with terrorists. “Firstly, he is a mental patient. Apart from that, there are two more reasons. One, there is a terror crime nexus … there is political patronage and terrorists provide them with protection. The terrorists act against law enforcers, FC personnel, security forces and anyone who stands against them. There is a huge economic interest and there is a political reason also … the only story that comes out of KP is security … there is a narrative of the army being behind terrorism so that no one questions them about governance in the province where they have been in power for the past 12-13 years.”

Citing some examples, the DG ISPR recalled how Imran had been spinning this narrative by trying to stop remittances to Pakistan so that the country defaults. 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 could default. He then resorts to civil disobedience, doesn’t pay electricity bills, so that anarchy is spread in the country.

Let me give you another example from a few days ago: He (Imran) tells his followers to target the leadership of the army — the army which stood against an economy and an armed forces eight times bigger than it during Operation Bunyanum Marsoos and Marka-i-Haq. And doing so, they gained respect for 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.

That agenda can only come from someone in Delhi. Someone sitting there and guiding that — who wishes that this army, which is your armour against kharjis and terrorists, sacrificing their lives — stops doing it. This agenda and narrative cannot come from elsewhere, he said.