ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani military should make a U-turn by supporting the “failed” government led by the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharifdeposed premier Imran Khan has urged the powerful generals to review their decision as any wrong move by them will further widen the gap between the people and the establishment.
Addressing a seminar organized by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) here on Saturday, Khan, president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, said the entire country is looking towards power as they have power.
Khan said it was important for leaders and generals to take a ‘U-turn’ as no one should consider themselves infallible.
The longer the current setup lasts, the more damaging it will be for the country, said Khan, who has been complaining about the mighty army abandoning them during the political crisis earlier this year.
Khan, who came to power in 2018, apparently lost the backing of the army after refusing to support the appointment of the ISI spy agency chief last year.
In the end, he agreed, but it soured his relationship with the military, which has ruled the coup d’état for more than half of its 75 years of existence and wields considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy. it used.
Khan urged the establishment to take a U-turn with the support of the current government led by Prime Minister Sharif. He said that cash-strapped Pakistan stands at a critical juncture and it is very important that “right decisions” are taken today.
Khan said supporting a “failed” government would widen the gap between the people and the establishment.
He questioned whether the decision taken by the military establishment to support the current regime behind “closed doors” was beneficial to Pakistan.
“Who told them that the verdict (supporting Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz led by Sharif) was a better option?” Khan asked.
“The nation is looking towards establishment because they have the power,” Khan said, adding that the current set-up would destabilize Pakistan politically and economically.
Khan also said that the country cannot tolerate a weak army seeing the plight of those countries which failed to build a strong army.
Also, the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician emphasized that the establishment must differentiate between constructive and harmful criticism.
He spoke of the forced disappearances and the crackdown on journalists under his regime and said his government had nothing to do with extortion or banning the media.
“I was never afraid of the media… [I] The PM who criticized the most was… [yet] I have never tried to bribe journalists or take action against them,” claimed the former prime minister.
He said “constructive criticism” was necessary.
“When we came to the government, we came to know that many times people are picked up [the pretext of] National Security.”
Khan said he had spoken to Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa when General Faiz Hamid was the head of the ISI, which resulted in the forcible disappearance of several people.
“they [army] He said the problem was with respect to the judiciary, adding that the explanation provided to him was that it was difficult to prosecute a terrorist in court due to lack of evidence or witnesses.
However, he said, an agreement had been reached and his government was working on a bill that would at least keep the families of missing persons in the loop.
Khan also distanced his government from kidnapping journalists during the PTI government’s rule.
“Shirin” [Mazari] Knows, three or four times that a journalist was picked up in the cabinet; No journalist was picked up on my instructions, [as] The problem was something else,” Khan said.
Disputing Khan’s stand that there were no restrictions on the press during his tenure, the Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb He said there are reports about restrictions imposed on the press during the PTI era, hate campaigns were launched on social media against journalists.
Showing various clippings regarding censorship during PTI’s government, he said, “Imran Khan is saying that during my government the media was free, there was no restriction or censorship on the media.” These include reports from reporters. without limitsHuman Rights Watch, and Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE).
He also mentioned the cases of online harassment, kidnapping and threats faced by media persons including women journalists during the previous government and the restrictions on electronic and print media.
Separately, former President and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Asif Zardari also reacted to Khan’s statements.
In a statement, he said Imran Khan should have realized the importance of a free press while ruling the country and termed the PTI government the “darkest phase” for press freedom in the country’s history. dawn report good.
Addressing a seminar organized by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) here on Saturday, Khan, president of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, said the entire country is looking towards power as they have power.
Khan said it was important for leaders and generals to take a ‘U-turn’ as no one should consider themselves infallible.
The longer the current setup lasts, the more damaging it will be for the country, said Khan, who has been complaining about the mighty army abandoning them during the political crisis earlier this year.
Khan, who came to power in 2018, apparently lost the backing of the army after refusing to support the appointment of the ISI spy agency chief last year.
In the end, he agreed, but it soured his relationship with the military, which has ruled the coup d’état for more than half of its 75 years of existence and wields considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy. it used.
Khan urged the establishment to take a U-turn with the support of the current government led by Prime Minister Sharif. He said that cash-strapped Pakistan stands at a critical juncture and it is very important that “right decisions” are taken today.
Khan said supporting a “failed” government would widen the gap between the people and the establishment.
He questioned whether the decision taken by the military establishment to support the current regime behind “closed doors” was beneficial to Pakistan.
“Who told them that the verdict (supporting Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz led by Sharif) was a better option?” Khan asked.
“The nation is looking towards establishment because they have the power,” Khan said, adding that the current set-up would destabilize Pakistan politically and economically.
Khan also said that the country cannot tolerate a weak army seeing the plight of those countries which failed to build a strong army.
Also, the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician emphasized that the establishment must differentiate between constructive and harmful criticism.
He spoke of the forced disappearances and the crackdown on journalists under his regime and said his government had nothing to do with extortion or banning the media.
“I was never afraid of the media… [I] The PM who criticized the most was… [yet] I have never tried to bribe journalists or take action against them,” claimed the former prime minister.
He said “constructive criticism” was necessary.
“When we came to the government, we came to know that many times people are picked up [the pretext of] National Security.”
Khan said he had spoken to Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa when General Faiz Hamid was the head of the ISI, which resulted in the forcible disappearance of several people.
“they [army] He said the problem was with respect to the judiciary, adding that the explanation provided to him was that it was difficult to prosecute a terrorist in court due to lack of evidence or witnesses.
However, he said, an agreement had been reached and his government was working on a bill that would at least keep the families of missing persons in the loop.
Khan also distanced his government from kidnapping journalists during the PTI government’s rule.
“Shirin” [Mazari] Knows, three or four times that a journalist was picked up in the cabinet; No journalist was picked up on my instructions, [as] The problem was something else,” Khan said.
Disputing Khan’s stand that there were no restrictions on the press during his tenure, the Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb He said there are reports about restrictions imposed on the press during the PTI era, hate campaigns were launched on social media against journalists.
Showing various clippings regarding censorship during PTI’s government, he said, “Imran Khan is saying that during my government the media was free, there was no restriction or censorship on the media.” These include reports from reporters. without limitsHuman Rights Watch, and Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE).
He also mentioned the cases of online harassment, kidnapping and threats faced by media persons including women journalists during the previous government and the restrictions on electronic and print media.
Separately, former President and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Asif Zardari also reacted to Khan’s statements.
In a statement, he said Imran Khan should have realized the importance of a free press while ruling the country and termed the PTI government the “darkest phase” for press freedom in the country’s history. dawn report good.