Army says it's ‘aghast’ after Khan accuses the federal government of attempting to nominate a ‘favorite’ as the following military chief.
Islamabad, Pakistan – Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has landed in a new controversy after the nation’s highly effective military reacted strongly to some “defamatory” statements made by him on the appointment of the brand new army chief.
Addressing a rally in Faisalabad within the Punjab province on Sunday night time, Khan accused the federal government of attempting to nominate a “favorite” as the following military chief.
The tenure of the present chief, Normal Qamar Javed Bajwa ends in November this yr. He was given an extension in August 2019 when Khan was the prime minister.
“They're afraid that if a powerful military chief is appointed, a patriotic military chief is appointed who will ask them [about corruption], so it's due to this worry that they need to appoint their military chief,” Khan stated on the rally organised by his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) get together.
In a harshly worded assertion on Monday, the Inter-Providers Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing, stated it was “aghast” on the remarks, calling them “defamatory and uncalled for”.
The assertion stated the army management has carried out a “decades-long impeccable meritorious service to show its patriotic and professional credentials past any doubt”.
“Politicising the senior management of Pakistan Military and scandalising the method of number of the COAS (chief of military employees) is neither within the curiosity of the state of Pakistan nor of the establishment,” the ISPR assertion stated.
Pakistan’s army institution has dominated over the nation for greater than half of its 75-year historical past as an impartial nation.
The ruling coalition, Pakistan Democratic Motion (PDM), additionally condemned the cricketing icon-turned-politician’s remarks.
“He's now indulging in direct mudslinging and toxic allegations towards the Armed Forces and its management. His nefarious agenda is clearly to disrupt and undermine Pakistan,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tweeted on Monday.
President Arif Alvi, who belongs to Khan’s PTI, appeared to distance himself from his get together chief’s assertion, saying there ought to be little question in regards to the nation’s army.
“All chiefs of military employees who've been appointed in Pakistan have been patriotic,” he stated in an announcement.
Khan fought again, saying he's following the “propaganda by the PDM cabal” and promised to present a reply in his subsequent rally in Peshawar metropolis afterward Tuesday.
“I'll give correct reply to all those that have intentionally been distorting my phrases to malign me. Sufficient is sufficient,” he tweeted on Tuesday.
Khan, whose authorities was eliminated by means of a vote of no confidence in April this yr, has been holding public rallies since then. He says his removing was a part of a “conspiracy” through which america was additionally concerned.
Each the Pakistani authorities and Washington have rejected the cost.
Lahore-based political analyst Benazir Shah believes Khan’s statements towards the army have been a part of a political technique he has been engaged on since his removing from workplace. She stated the remarks is not going to damage Khan’s rising reputation among the many individuals.
“Imran Khan and his get together leaders have, in varied interviews and political rallies, hinted that they consider the army performed a task in Khan’s removing. Khan has usually threatened to publicly title these ‘concerned’ within the ‘conspiracy’ towards him,” she instructed Al Jazeera.
“Beforehand, Pakistan’s army has been criticised for its outsized function in politics and governance and has been alleged to again Khan prior to now. However Khan’s criticism is completely different. He's as an alternative pushing the army to choose a facet, and never simply any facet, his facet.”
Following a political rally final month, Khan was charged with terrorism by the federal government for allegedly threatening the police chief of capital Islamabad and a feminine decide for her ruling towards one in all Khan’s high aides.
Whereas a courtroom later granted the previous prime minister safety from arrest, he may nonetheless be disqualified from operating for a public workplace if discovered responsible of contempt of courtroom.
The controversy about Khan’s remarks on the military has erupted at a time when Pakistan is reeling underneath unprecedented floods which have killed greater than 1,300 individuals and left no less than 33 million displaced.
TV channel shut down
In a associated growth, Bol Information, a Pakistani channel thought-about to be sympathetic in the direction of Khan, was taken off air by the authorities on Monday.
The nation’s media regulatory physique stated the channel was ordered to shut as a result of it “didn't submit software for renewal of its licence”.
However Khan alleged the channel was suspended as a result of it gave him and his get together protection, calling the transfer “fascist”.
“Imported govt has taken media and journalists’ censorship and persecution to fascistic ranges. Now Bol has been suspended just because it gave us protection,” he tweeted.
Since his removing from workplace, Khan has been referring to the Sharif authorities as “imported”, a reference to his declare of a US hand behind the transfer.
“Message to all media homes is to blackout the most important and hottest nationwide political get together from mainstream media. Unacceptable,” Khan posted.
In the previous few months, a number of journalists and TV channels who reported about Khan have been quickly taken off air. The favored ARY Information channel was blocked for greater than three weeks earlier than it was allowed again on air on Saturday.
Specialists have additionally blamed Khan for crushing dissenting voices within the media when he was the nation’s chief.
Defence analyst Ejaz Haider instructed Al Jazeera the appointment of the brand new military chief stays a “vitally essential matter” for Khan and the opposition.
“Khan is signalling to the brass that in the event that they don’t help him, he'll deliver the temple down on everybody. His assertion, a transparent try to make the following chief controversial, is a part of that technique,” Haider stated.
“The narrative is such that the military itself must be blamed for propping him (Khan) up for years because the rightful chief of Pakistan whereas branding others as thieves. That is now boomeranging on the military.
“He additionally has the help of city center lessons, most of whom are offered on the concept anybody who doesn’t stand with Khan and the PTI is a spoiler and should be denounced.”
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