Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has made it clear that no interview regarding granting any pardon to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders was given by the Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, during his visit to Brussels, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
ISPR Director General Lt General Ahmed Sharif has strongly denied claims that the Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir, gave an interview to senior journalist Sohail Warraich during his visit to Brussels.
Speaking to the media persons in Islamabad on Thursday, DG ISPR said that Sohail Warraich’s move was “inappropriate” and that anyone committing an unlawful act must face the law.
General Sharif clarified that no interview was granted by the Army Chief to any journalist.
Referring to the column in question, DG ISPR explained that it was related to a public event in Brussels where hundreds of people took photographs with the Army Chief, and the journalist in question also posed for one.
He stressed that during the event, there was no mention of PTI or any pardon, calling it a “personal attempt by a journalist to seek publicity and self-interest”.
When asked if legal action would be initiated against Geo and Jang media groups, General Sharif responded that institutions must act with wisdom, and the media should realise that such conduct is inappropriate.
He expressed regret that even a senior journalist had displayed such irresponsibility.
Reiterating the army’s stance, the DG ISPR said, “The Pakistan Army is a responsible institution. This was an inappropriate act by Sohail Warraich, and whoever commits an unlawful act will have to face justice.”
Answering another query, General Ahmed Sharif said that Pakistan is capable of changing the destiny of the entire region, which is why it continues to face repeated attacks.
Terming the youth as a great asset of Pakistan, the DG ISPR urged them to understand the legacy and history of their ideological state and to recognise their strength. “The day they realise their power, no extremist or proxy will be able to frighten them,” he added.
The DG ISPR said India believed that by supporting its terrorist proxies and facilitators, it could discredit the Pakistan Army through an attack. However, everything unfolded contrary to India’s nefarious designs, he observed.
He asserted that Pakistan and its armed forces gave a befitting response to India and its proxies. DG ISPR Ahmed Sharif recounted how some believed that India, with its military machine worth billions of dollars, would easily defeat Pakistan.
He added that there were even suggestions that India and its proxies, including Fitna al-Khawarij and Fitna Hindustan, should attack Pakistan simultaneously. However, the DG ISPR said, the entire world witnessed how Pakistan faced the enemy on both fronts.
He said that the decision made by all political parties in 2014 to dismantle the “illegal spectrum” to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan has not been fully implemented.
“When illegal Afghan residents involved in crimes are to be deported, certain political and criminal elements within our own country begin to create problems,” he said.
The DG ISPR stressed the need to implement all 14 points of the National Action Plan in letter and spirit. Governance gaps, he said, are being filled daily by the sacrifices of military, police, and law enforcement personnel.
Reporter Ahmad Mansoor