Former army chief’s views on future threat to Pakistan taken out of context, says ISPR

By Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD: The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) clarified that recent discussions in the media regarding the combat worthiness of the Pakistan Army and the views of former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa on the “future threat to Pakistan” have been misquoted and taken out of context.

In a statement, the military’s media wing said that the views of the former army chief, which he shared in an off-the-record interactive session with media personnel, have been misreported.

“The army assures the people of Pakistan that we always took and will continue to take pride in our operational preparedness and utmost combat worthiness,” the ISPR said.

“Pakistan’s armed forces will continue to keep their weapons, equipment, and battle-hardened human resources ever ready for the defense of the motherland.”

The ISPR added that Pakistan’s armed forces would keep their weapons, equipment, and “battle-hardened human resource ever ready for the defense of the motherland.”

The statement comes in response to journalist Hamid Mir’s recent claim that General Bajwa had told journalists in 2021 that the Pakistan Army was not capable of combat.

Mir also alleged that General Bajwa made a deal on Kashmir after the 2021 ceasefire between Pakistan and India at the Line of Control, which has yet to be made public.

Journalist Mir alleged that after the ceasefire, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was supposed to visit Pakistan, but the then-foreign minister and prime minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Imran Khan, were not aware of the plan.

Mir claimed that the then-PM Khan had asked for details about Modi’s visit, and after that, General Bajwa came to the Foreign Office with his convoy and gave a lecture.

Mir alleged that this was the same lecture that Bajwa had given in front of him and other journalists, in which he claimed that Pakistani tanks were not capable of running, and there was no diesel for the movement of troops.

Mir further claimed that despite Bajwa’s lecture, he and other journalists did not believe him. The incident allegedly took place at the General Headquarters in front of 20-25 journalists.