By Staff Reporter
RAWALPINDI: Director-General of the Inter-Services Public Relations (DG-ISPR) Major General Babar Iftikhar on Thursday termed a senior politician’s remarks about Peshawar Corps Commander Lieutenant- General Faiz Hameed ‘very inappropriate’.
“We are exhibiting tolerance for a long time and consistently requesting not to drag the Pakistan Army into politics,” said DG ISPR addressing a press conference.
“Pakistan has several security challenges and the armed forces are performing important duties to secure the country’s borders and cope with the internal security challenges.”
He said military leadership was completely focused on its security responsibilities.
The army should be kept away from political discourse, the military’s spokesman reiterated.
Regarding the appointment of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), the DG said that the army chief was an important position and the appointment process was mentioned in the Constitution.
“The appointment of the army chief will be made at its appropriate time,” he said.
The DG-ISPR stressed that unnecessary debates and discussions regarding the COAS appointment were tantamount to making the army chief’s position controversial.
He asked everyone to refrain from unneeded debates on this subject as it was not in the national interests.
“We have clarified the military’s position multiple times that the army has no connection with the political discourse as per the Constitution and law.”
Everyone has witnessed the military establishment as an apolitical institution in any of the recent elections, he said.
“All senior politicians are also accepting that the army is far from politics.”
He also said that proposing the army for political interference was very inappropriate.
To a question regarding politicians’ demand to hold elections, the DG ISPR said, “We have nothing to do with holding elections and politics has nothing to do with us, while it has been clearly practiced for over a year now.”
“Look at any by-election, local body election and other political issues, we have clearly kept ourselves away from these things and even politicians are confirming this,” the DG ISPR said.
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