RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: The Director-General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar has said that concern exists in the military over the anti-army tirade by the 11-party Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM); however, the government demonstrated well in response.
“Pakistan army is the subsidiary institution of the government, and the latter is tackling the issue well,” the director-general said in a media briefing held at Pakistan army’s general headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi on Monday.
Major General Babar Iftikhar also said that there were no back door contacts with the opposition alliance formed under the umbrella of the PDM.
The director-general ISPR said that if anyone has doubts over the 2018 elections being fair and free, he must approach the relevant institutions.
The DG ISPR said that the Pakistan army doesn’t want to indulge in political matters; therefore, it must not be dragged into politics.
In reply to a question with regard to the threat by the PDM Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to march towards Rawalpindi, he said that it’s beyond understanding why do they need to come to Rawalpindi but if they come, we will offer them tea.
“I don’t understand Maulana’s intentions to come to Pindi but if they come, they will be offered tea. This is what I can only say on it,” the DG ISPR Major General Iftikhar Babar said.
Talking about the security and border situation, Major General Iftikhar Babar said that Pakistan has been multiple facing security challenges for the past one decade.
“We were faced with Coronavirus, economy, and security crisis in the past year. The economic and food situation was threatened by the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
However, Pakistan bravely faced internal and external threats, he said. “Pakistan army is doing its duty, the army’s morale is high,” he said.
The director-general ISPR said that India is involved in promoting the anti-Pakistan agenda in six domains which include abetting terrorism, targeting the economy, using diplomacy, fomenting chaos, Kashmir, and social issues.
“India can’t see Pakistan progressing and achieving peace,” he said.
The DG ISPR said that the Indian forces are deliberately targeting civilians but the Pakistan army has always responded befittingly to Indian misadventures.
Major General Iftikhar Babar further said that anti-Pakistan forces are disrupting peace in Balochistan. He said that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa will visit Quetta in the coming week.
Furthermore, he told that 199 developmental projects are underway in Balochistan while 883 such projects are being carried out in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Mentioning the improvement in the overall security situation, he said that a significant improvement has been witnessed after operations against terrorism.
The DG ISPR said that more than 371,000 anti-terror operations were carried out under Radd-ul-Fasaad. He added that all terror networks have been eliminated while over 18,000 terrorists were killed.
“93% decline has been seen in the incidents of suicide attacks,” he said.
The director-general ISPR said that the fence at the Pak-Afghan border was erected with the blood of our soldiers, and no one can dare to uproot it.
