By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military leadership on Wednesday issued a stern warning against efforts to undermine national unity, explicitly rejecting links between terrorism, crime and political interests, amid escalating tensions with former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his party.
The declaration came in a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations, the military’s media arm, following the 273rd Corps Commanders’ Conference at the army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. The meeting was chaired by Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, who holds the dual roles of chief of the army staff and chief of defense forces.
“The Forum categorically rejected the nexus between terrorism, crime, and vested political interests,” the statement said. “It resolved that no malicious interest, political or otherwise, aimed at undermining national unity, security and stability would be tolerated, nor would anyone be allowed to create divisions between the Armed Forces and the people of Pakistan.”
Analysts said the powerful Pakistani military has been locked in a public feud with Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party in recent months. Earlier this month, the military’s spokesperson delivered a pointed rebuke during a news conference, labeling Khan’s repeated criticisms of the armed forces as a “national security threat” and signaling that a strong response could follow.
The commanders’ conference also conducted a thorough review of Pakistan’s internal and external security challenges, emphasising emerging threats and the military’s operational readiness, according to the statement. Participants paid tribute to security forces for carrying out multiple intelligence-based counterterrorism operations nationwide in recent months, as well as to civilians killed in militant attacks.
The military credited these efforts, along with collaboration from the government and law enforcement, for fostering gradual improvements in stability, economic opportunities and Pakistan’s global image. “The participants reaffirmed that all terrorists under the tutelage of Indian sponsors, along with their facilitators and abettors, would be dealt with decisively and without exception,” the statement said. Pakistan has long accused India of backing insurgent activities on its soil, an allegation that New Delhi has consistently rejected.
The commanders praised development efforts in the volatile province of Balochistan, describing them as focused on local empowerment and community engagement to combat governance issues linked to terrorism. “The participants noted the need for similar public-centric initiatives elsewhere, also in line with [the] National Action Plan, to ensure enduring peace and stability,” the statement added, invoking the counterterrorism strategy implemented after the 2014 Peshawar school massacre that killed more than 140 people, mostly children.
The forum reiterated Pakistan’s backing for self-determination in Kashmir — the contested region split between the two nuclear-armed neighbors — and for Palestinians. It demanded an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, unrestricted humanitarian aid and progress toward Palestinian statehood.
In his closing remarks, Field Marshal Munir urged commanders to sustain peak levels of training, discipline, physical conditioning, technological innovation and adaptability in combat. “He expressed full confidence in Pakistan Army’s capability to effectively counter [the] complete spectrum of threats, ranging from conventional and sub-conventional to hybrid and asymmetric challenges, while steadfastly safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement said.
Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023 on charges he insists are fabricated for political reasons, has ramped up his attacks on the military since his removal from power through a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April 2022. He has accused the armed forces of conspiring with his opponents to engineer his downfall, a claim the military dismisses. From his cell in a Rawalpindi prison, Khan has alleged that he is being deprived of fundamental rights under orders from the military and the government. Both the army and the authorities have refuted these accusations, with the military maintaining that it stays out of politics.
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