Remembering Armed Forces’ Sacrifices and Services

By Sajjad Shaukat

The political crisis in Pakistan is still boiling up after the ouster of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan-chairman of the PTI through vote of no-confidence motion, passed in the National Assembly (NA) by the then joint opposition-an alliance of the PDM—following the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP).

PDM lawmakers had hailed the SCP order, while PTI lawmaker Shireen Mazari called it a “judicial coup”.

NA selected Shehbaz Sharif as the new prime minister after the PTI MNAs boycotted the election and resigned from the lower house.

The ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan decided to go to the public for a fresh mandate, demanding early elections, and announced to launch a mass movement against the PDM regime after Eidul Fitr.

On Khan’s call, the PTI on April 10 and April 16, 2022 staged countrywide protests against the “imported government”.

Recently, addressing massive crowd in Peshawar and Karachi, the ex- Prime Minister Khan almost repeated his previous statements. He asked his supporters to determine whether his ouster from power was an “interference” or a “conspiracy”. Hinting towards the US, he said: “A major international conspiracy was carried out against his government and this country…I cannot allow our country to become a slave to anyone”.

Referring to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he elaborated: “One Mir Jaffer has been imposed on us via a conspiracy…the US officials had started meeting the leaders of the [then] opposition parties at the American embassy…the US official Donald Lu met the Pakistani ambassador… had threatened him that if the no-confidence motion was not successful then it will be very difficult for Pakistan…Pakistan would be forgiven if it succeeds”.

The PTI chairman stated that the courts were opened at 12 am on the day of the vote of no confidence, saying, “I want to ask what crime I was committing that the courts were opened at odd hours”.

The former PM Khan appreciated the army, and criticised it indirectly stating: “I knew the match was fixed…I asked the Supreme Court why it did not investigate the diplomatic cypher”.

While, leaders of the then joint opposition parties challenged the authenticity of the ‘threat letter’—repeatedly said that the letter was a ploy of Premier Imran Khan to castigate the no-trust move.  

Meanwhile, during the Formation Commanders’ Conference chaired by Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the country’s top military brass has taken notice of the recent propaganda campaign by some quarters to malign Pakistan Army and create a division between the institution and society as a statement of the ISPR verified.

In the meantime, the Islamabad High Court restrained the FIA from harassing PTI’s social media activists.

In a recent press briefing, DG of ISPR Maj-Gen. Babar Iftikhar stated that the word ‘conspiracy’ was not mentioned in the communiqué issued following the meeting of the National Security Committee. But, he admitted that the demarche was issued to the foreign country [US] over the use of undiplomatic language which tantamount to interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs. Babar added that Imran Khan contacted the military leadership.

Responding to the ISPR statement, Shireen Mazari emphatically clarified that deposed Prime Minister Khan had not called the military leadership for help to break the “political deadlock”…instead “the military sought the meeting through then defence minister [Pervaiz] Khattak…Imran Khan refused option of resigning…DG ISPR stated that Imran Khan’s Russia trip was undertaken after approval from all”.

These contradictory clarifications by the ISPR and PTI are being used by pro and anti-PTI supporters and media persons to vindicate their respective narratives.

Notably, in November 2020 when the PDM had launched a movement to topple the elected regime of PTI, addressing a PDM rally in Gujranwala via a video link from London, ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif accused army chief Bajwa and ISI chief Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed of rigging elections and toppling his government to install Imran Khan in his place.

In fact, since July 28, 2017 when the Supreme Court announced its verdict in connection with the Panama Papers case and disqualified the then PM Nawaz Sharif regarding the corruption charges, the deposed prime minister-head of the PML-N and his daughter Maryam Nawaz were, openly, criticising the Supreme Court and Army. Thus, they had been misguiding the people and were provoking them against the key institutions.

At present, PTI’s workers have been distorting Army’s in such a way that general masses have forgotten the sacrifices and services of the armed forces. 

Undoubtedly, Pakistan’s armed forces and ISI have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists. Peace has been restored in country’s vulnerable regions. 

Recall armed forces’ innumerable services and sacrifices particularly of Army such as the resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons during the Swat and Malakand military operations, counter-insurgency operations and restoration of law and order on many occasions—during catastrophic periods—floods, earthquakes, coronavirus pandemic, locusts’ attacks etc.—also at the Line of Control and to stop infiltration of terrorists inside Pakistan from Afghanistan.

Since 1984, Pakistan’s military is fighting against the Indian forces in the Siachen Glacier region despite the unfavorable weather conditions.

Now, besides facing external challenges—Indian war-mongering policy, Pakistan’s security agencies have been coping with a different war, as enemy employs subversive activities of various kinds which include both internal and external crises.

Regrettably, under the cover of democracy, some irresponsible leaders of the PTI and PDM are moving the country towards anarchy or civil war by giving priority to their personal interests over national interests. It could be judged from the Punjab Assembly (PA) which turned into a battlefield on April 16, this year just as the voting for the new chief minister was scheduled to take place—PML-Q leader and PA Speaker Pervaiz Elahi, and Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari were injured.

At this critical hour, while remembering the sacrifices and services of the armed forces, the government and the opposition leaders, including all other segments of society must sign a charter of democracy by showing selfless national unity to pull the country out of the ongoing serious crises.

The writer focuses on international affairs and is the author of the book, “US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations”. He can be reached at [email protected]

Source: The Nation