Terror fight gains won’t be wasted to suit ‘vested agenda’: COAS – Newspaper

ISLAMABAD: The army said on Monday that it was ready to help the "national institutions" in accordance with the country's Constitution.

The Chief of the General Staff of the Army, General Qamar Bajwa, while presiding over a meeting of body commanders at the General Headquarters, said: "The Pakistan Army as a state body will continue to support national institutions when requested by the Constitution."

The meeting, which is a monthly feature at the GHQ, is attended by the high command of the army, including the body commanders, the main staff officers at headquarters and the heads of military intelligence services.

Public relations between services, which published quotes from the commentaries of the army chief at the conference, did not say in what context they were made.

The comments, however, came in the context of the current sit-in of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in Islamabad and the demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the holding of new elections in the country.

Bajwa says the Army will help national institutions as allowed by the Constitution

The government, in accordance with article 245 of the Constitution, can ask the armed forces for help in emergency situations.

The head of JUI-F, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, gave a two-day deadline last Friday for the prime minister to resign and had threatened to march to D-Chowk, in front of the House of Parliament, but then he was forced to soften that after not being able to obtain it Support of the main opposition parties: the Muslim League of Pakistan-Nawaz and the Popular Party of Pakistan.

The multi-party conference convened on Monday to formulate the future strategy for agitation also failed to provide the necessary support for JUI-F's plans as one of the party leaders, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, shortly after the MPC told the journalists that the place of the session in, currently in the H-9 sector of the federal capital, was not being changed.

General Bajwa, in his comments at the conference, said that security and stability in the country had been achieved through a national approach and sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. "We will not let it revert to adapt to any personal agenda at any cost," said the army chief, rejecting measures that could destabilize the country.

The army chief on this occasion further stressed the need for unity among various state organs. "While the Pakistan Armed Forces with the support of national institutions and the nation are fully prepared and committed to thwart all threats, including in the Eastern Border / LoC, the continued cohesion of all national stakeholders on key national issues it is essential to defeat the enemy forces, "he said.

These were the first formal comments of the army chief since the turmoil, called Azadi marching by its organizers, began in Karachi on October 27.

However, while participating in a private television program a few days ago, senior military spokesman General Asif Ghafoor had said: "The opposition must understand that the army is an impartial organization." We believe in the rule of law and the Constitution. Our support is not for a party, but lies with a democratically elected government. ”

Major General Ghafoor responded to the speech of the head of the JUI-F in the sitting on Friday in which he had asked the "institutions" to remain "impartial." However, he had not specified which institution / s he was going to.

Published on Dawn, November 5, 2019