COAS told opposition leaders not to drag military into politics

[MenInG]

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and head of the Inter-Services Int*elligence Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed had asked key opposition figures not to involve the military into political issues.

A few days before opposition’s All Parties Conference, the COAS had a meeting with over 15 opposition figures including Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Sheh*baz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bil*a*wal Bhutto-Zardari, Jamaat-e-Islami's Sirajul Haq and others.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed who also attended the meeting, revealed that the agenda of the meeting was the constitutional status of Gilgit-Baltistan. However, during the meeting, the opposition raised their concerns, especially about the military’s alleged interference in politics, local media reported.

However, the COAS and ISI chief made it clear to the leaders that the army should not be dragged into politics and that it is 'not involved, directly or indirectly, in any political process of the country'.

https://www.brecorder.com/news/4002...on-leaders-not-to-drag-military-into-politics

 

[Savak]

So bitter and badniyat is NS that he is willing to screw over his brother, daughter, nephew because everything is meaningless to him as he can never sit in office again

 

[MenInG]

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday said that political decisions should be made in the parliament, not at the General Headquarters (GHQ).

Maryam, who was at the Islamabad High Court for a hearing of an appeal against her conviction in the Avenfield property reference, was responding to a question from a reporter about Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa and head of the ISI Lt Gen Faiz Hameed's meeting with key opposition figures.

"I don't know about a dinner, maybe it was not a dinner [but] I heard about the meeting. From what I understand it was called to discuss Gilgit-Baltistan which is a political issue, an issue of the people's representatives, for them to solve and deliberate upon.

"These decisions should be made in parliament, not in GHQ," she said.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD
When asked whether former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was aware of the meeting, she said: "I don't know whether he was aware of [the meeting] or if he learnt of it later.

"But the political leadership should not be called nor should it go to discuss such issues. Whoever wishes to discuss these issues should come to the parliament."

Earlier in the week, it emerged that the army chief and the head of the ISI had held a meeting with key opposition figures before their multiparty conference and cou*n*selled them to refrain from dragging the military into political issues.

The September 16 meeting was attended by about 15 opposition figures including Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Sheh*baz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bil*a*wal Bhutto-Zardari, Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sirajul Haq, ANP’s Amir Haider Hoti, JUI-F’s Asad Mahmood, PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal, PPP’s Senator Sherry Rehman and a few government ministers.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, while confirming the meeting and its participants in a conversation with Dawn, had said the meeting was held to discuss the impending changes in the constitutional status of Gilgit-Baltistan.

However, the opposition had used this opportunity to flag its concerns about other matters, especially the military’s alleged interference in politics and allegations of persecution of its leaders on the pretext of accountability.

The timing of the meeting and its disclosure was linked by the onlookers to the opposition’s multiparty conference held on Sep 20 in which Nawaz had bitterly criticised the Army, saying there was “a state above the state in the country”.

Rashid had said the army chief clearly told the participants of the meeting that the Army was not in any manner linked to the political processes and had no involvement in matters concerning election reforms and accountability.

The army chief, however, had said the military only responds to calls for assistance by the elected civilian government and it would continue doing so irrespective of who is in office.

Gen Bajwa had reportedly categorically conveyed that no one would be allowed to create chaos in the country.

DAWN.

 

[MenInG]

KARACHI: PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Wednesday that army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa desired free and transparent polls in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The PPP leader revealed this during a news conference, where he spoke about the recent meeting between the military and political leadership to discuss administrative matters pertaining to Gilgit-Balistan.

Bilawal came down hard on "some irresponsible people" who were part of the meeting, for discussing sensitive matters pertaining to national security issues and foreign policy issues on TV.

"Whoever's spokesperson he is, they should tell him to be quiet at once," said the PPP chairman. "And refrain from issuing any irresponsible statements."

Bilawal said that it was necessary for political parties to attend meetings on national security matters. He criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan for "failing to engage the opposition" on such important issues pertaining to national security.

"This prime minister, since day one, has completely failed when it comes to national security issues, including those of Gilgit Baltistan and Kashmir," he said, accusing the prime minister of not being mature enough to set aside his ego to talk to the opposition.

"Due to this, national security meetings are being held without the prime minister, which should not have happened," said Bilawal, adding that this was a "failing of the government. "It is the responsibility of the prime minister, considering the chair that he occupies, to talk to the opposition."

He called on PM Imran to resign and hand over the job of leading the country to a prime minister "who takes his responsibilities seriously and doesn't think about his personal politics on every other matter".

 

[uberkoen]

What a joke by the COAS. Do people really take these guys seriously?

 

[Mamoon]

The irony of this statement cannot be described in mere words.

 

[Loralai]

Very amusing. Did not know COAS was now working on Hasb-e-Haal comedy show.

 

[Savak]

MNS needs to be sporting and accept his political disqualification for life rather than looking to screw over his daughter, brother and nephew

 

[Star_Coffee]

What a joke by the COAS. Do people really take these guys seriously?

Yes! not just Paksitani but almost every entity in the world.

 

[MenInG]

Referring to Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday said those revealing details from a recent meeting of key opposition figures with the military leadership need to be stopped because such conversations are meant to be confidential.

He made the demand at a press conference in Karachi, a week after 15 prominent opposition members, including himself, met Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa and head of the Inter-Services Intelligence Lt Gen Faiz Hameed.

In the meeting, which had come days before opposition parties at a conference announced a wide-ranging anti-government movement and criticised the military's interference in politics, the army and intelligence chiefs had cou*n*selled the opposition to refrain from dragging the military into political issues, it had emerged on Monday.

Sharing how the meeting transpired, Bilawal said PPP and other political parties were approached on September 18 or 19 and invited to a national security briefing on Gilgit-Baltistan.

"Whenever there's a national security issue, whether it concerns India, AJK and GB, FATA, extremism and terrorism, we were, are today and will be together on these in the future," he said.

He said his party had never commented on national security meetings, which are "in-camera, off the record", and journalists too understand not to share publicly anything said off the record.

But Bilawal said he had to talk about the meeting with the military leadership to the extent of the disclosures made about it, "out of helplessness".

"Some irresponsible persons who have nothing to do with national security, GB, AJK or foreign policy, and who didn't say a word in this meeting, are giving statements on every TV channel these days," he said.

"I think such actions make national security and foreign policy issues controversial. And whoever's spokesperson this [person] is, they should immediately ask them to shut up and not say anything irresponsible," Bilawal added.

He later named this person as Railways Minister Rashid, who has in recent days appeared on various prime time talk shows to confirm details of the meeting. Bilawal said the narrative Rashid is spreading "is not setting a good precedent".

"You can never be able to create consensus on any issue if such things happen," he added, saying his party in the future will not attend any meeting in which Rashid is also present.

Noting that political parties will have to sit together on national security issues in the future as well, Bilawal accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of having failed to "engage with the opposition" on national security issues that have arisen during his tenure, such as worsening of relations with India following the Pulwama attack.

He said national security briefings should not take place without the prime minister.

"The opposition as well as the government, despite our differences, are well-wishers of the country, Bilawal said. "When it comes to national security issues, we have always wanted to cooperate."

But "this current set-up has created an atmosphere where we don't feel secure that our national security conversations and briefings will remain confidential."

'Free and fair polls'
Bilawal said his party's stance during the meeting was that the people of GB should take the decisions concerning their future themselves because it was their right.

He said the PPP had pointed out that nobody was representing GB at the meeting. "We demand free and fair elections in GB. If they don't take place, then we don't have a bigger national security threat," he added.

Bilawal said a "welcome" element of the meeting was that Army Chief Gen Bajwa too agreed that free and fair polls should be held in GB.

"I got the impression that the army chief did not want elections to be controversial in the future and desired that we carry out election reforms that result in free and fair elections. The biggest test case for this will be the upcoming GB polls," he stressed.

Announcing that he will personally lead the PPP's campaign for the GB polls, Bilawal said the GB elections will mark the point "from where we will move towards non-controversial elections". He also revealed the names of PPP's candidates for the GB polls.

During the news conference, the PPP chairperson also demanded of the federal government to provide compensation to small farmers who have suffered heavy losses due to floods caused by torrential rains, and declare an agriculture emergency.

Source DAWN

 

[Lonewarrior]

 

[Bigboii]

Yes! not just Paksitani but almost every entity in the world.

Can you please provide evidence from foriegn sources that military is not interfering in Pak politics?

 

[Star_Coffee]

Can you please provide evidence from foriegn sources that military is not interfering in Pak politics?

Did you over read?

Local or international sources mean nothing, what matters is Pakistan's democracy is moving forward while shedding crooks and looters on the way.

 

[Star_Coffee]

This explains 'rona dhona' of PML-N, was expecting to get their 'Kursi" back with the help of Army.

As it is been said before, this time it is different.

 

[uberkoen]

Yes! not just Paksitani but almost every entity in the world.

Wake up. Not even Pakistani's take these guys seriously. Hence the bill introduced which makes it illegal to criticize the army online because they were getting exposed and roasted online.

 

[The Viper]

Pakistan’s opposition takes blunt aim at country’s military

Islamabad, Pakistan – Pakistan’s main opposition parties have united to launch a new movement against the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan and the involvement of the country’s powerful military in politics, a move that analysts say has limited chances of achieving success.

On Sunday, leaders of the country’s two main opposition parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), joined with a coalition of other opposition parties from across the country to hold a show of unity at a multi-party conference in the capital, Islamabad.

The six parties and some smaller organisations, signed a declaration announcing the formation of the “Pakistan Democratic Movement” (PDM), aimed at holding countrywide protests from next month.

“The [military] establishment should stop every kind of interference in politics forthwith,” said the declaration, which also accused Prime Minister Khan of failing to govern effectively.

Speakers at Sunday’s gathering included former three-times prime minister and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, his younger brother Shehbaz, former Pakistani president and PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and several other top politicians.

They reiterated allegations that the military had rigged the 2018 election to help Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party score victory.

Also raised was the question of a reinvigorated anti-corruption “accountability” process since Khan came to power, which has seen the elder Sharif convicted in two cases and currently in self-imposed exile in London, Zardari arrested (he is currently out on bail) and numerous other opposition figures facing trial or imprisonment.

Khan remains popular

Khan, who remains widely popular and was elected on a platform of wiping out corruption, has remained the subject of consistent allegations that the accountability process has been biased, with members of his PTI party spared.

“The [anti-corruption watchdog] seems reluctant in proceeding against people on one side of the political divide […] while those on the other side are being arrested and incarcerated for months and years without providing any sufficient cause,” read a Supreme Court verdict in a corruption case in July.

On Sunday, Nawaz Sharif, speaking for the first time since he left the country on medical bail last November, singled the military out for particular criticism.

“It is saddening that the situation has escalated to the level where we now have a state above the state,” said Sharif via a video link from London.

“Either we have martial laws in the country or a strong parallel government is created whenever we have a civilian government. Our foremost priority is to get rid of this non-representative, incapable and selected government.”

Pakistan’s military has directly ruled the country for roughly half of its 73-year history, and retains control over major aspects of foreign and security policy.

Under Khan, it has taken an increasingly active role in working with the civilian government on other aspects of governance, including managing the economy and supervising the implementation of the $60bn China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Sharif’s frontal attack on the military was broadcast live in a country where direct criticism of the army is rare. On Monday, Planning Minister Asad Umar termed Sharif’s criticism of the military as “anti-Pakistan”, saying the civilian government was working with the military to govern the country.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/9/24/pakistans-opposition-takes-blunt-aim-at-countrys-military

 

[MenInG]

PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said from now on no one from his party will hold individual, private or delegation-level meetings with the country's military leadership.

If necessitated by national security or constitutional requirements, such meetings in the future will be approved by the party's leadership and will be made public, he wrote on his personal Twitter account.

Nawaz's tweet comes a day after the Pakistan Army disclosed that former senior PML-N leader and Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair had twice reached out to Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and discussed political and legal woes of Nawaz and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in the past few weeks.

“Mr Zubair twice met the army chief, once in the last week of August and then on September 7 in the presence of director general ISI,” revealed military spokesman Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar in a TV talk show on Wednesday. He said both meetings were held on Zubair’s request.

Nawaz said "recent events once again prove how some meetings remain hidden behind seven veils while others are given the colour of choice through publicising them. This game should now stop."

The PML-N supremo added that he was prohibiting his party members from meeting representatives of military or associated agencies in order to fulfil "requisites of Constitution of Pakistan and to remind the armed forces to comply with their oath".

Wednesday's disclosure by the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) came just hours after PML-N’s senior vice-president and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told a news conference in Lahore that none of the party members had held one-on-one meeting with the army chief in the recent past.

This was the second time this week that opposition leaders’ secret contacts with the military leadership were made public. The disclosures followed Nawaz’s hard-hitting speech at the opposition’s September 20 multiparty conference in which he had lashed out at the army, saying there was “a state above the state in the country” and the conference’s communique calling for an end to “establishment’s interference in politics” and “no role of armed forces and intelligence agencies” in future elections.

Earlier on Sept 21, a day after the opposition’s MPC, federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed revealed that major opposition figures, including Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N’s parliamentary leader in National Assembly Khawaja Asif and PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal, had met the COAS and the DG ISI in recent days.

That interaction was held on the military’s invitation for a discussion on the impending changes in the constitutional status of Gilgit-Baltistan though political issues and opposition’s concerns also came up during the meeting.

'Keep army out of politics'

Maj Gen Iftikhar said the COAS during his two meetings with Zubair “made it clear to him that their (Sharifs') legal issues would be addressed in court, while political matters were to be dealt in the parliament”.

The military spokesman added that Zubair was categorically conveyed that the army should be kept out of political matters.

Appearing on television channels afterwards and later through his Twitter account, Zubair did confirm his contacts with the military leadership but claimed that he had gone to discuss economic and governance issues. However, he admitted that the subject of Nawaz and Maryam did come up during the discussion.

“Gen Qamar Bajwa is an old friend and not only that I have met him many times as a friend but our families have also been meeting cordially over dinners etc. In my most recent meeting with him economy, politics and, of course, Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, all came under discussion. No relief was ever requested,” the PML-N leader tweeted.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1581404/n...ing-private-meetings-with-military-leadership

 

[Star_Coffee]

Wake up. Not even Pakistani's take these guys seriously. Hence the bill introduced which makes it illegal to criticize the army online because they were getting exposed and roasted online.

Introduced by a random person, not passed.

Even if it were to be passed, 99% sure that it won't, you'll still be able to criticize the army as many continue to do on almost every media in Pakistan.

 

[Savak]

PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif on Thursday said from now on no one from his party will hold individual, private or delegation-level meetings with the country's military leadership.

If necessitated by national security or constitutional requirements, such meetings in the future will be approved by the party's leadership and will be made public, he wrote on his personal Twitter account.

Nawaz's tweet comes a day after the Pakistan Army disclosed that former senior PML-N leader and Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair had twice reached out to Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and discussed political and legal woes of Nawaz and his daughter Maryam Nawaz in the past few weeks.

“Mr Zubair twice met the army chief, once in the last week of August and then on September 7 in the presence of director general ISI,” revealed military spokesman Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar in a TV talk show on Wednesday. He said both meetings were held on Zubair’s request.

Nawaz said "recent events once again prove how some meetings remain hidden behind seven veils while others are given the colour of choice through publicising them. This game should now stop."

The PML-N supremo added that he was prohibiting his party members from meeting representatives of military or associated agencies in order to fulfil "requisites of Constitution of Pakistan and to remind the armed forces to comply with their oath".

Wednesday's disclosure by the director general of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) came just hours after PML-N’s senior vice-president and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told a news conference in Lahore that none of the party members had held one-on-one meeting with the army chief in the recent past.

This was the second time this week that opposition leaders’ secret contacts with the military leadership were made public. The disclosures followed Nawaz’s hard-hitting speech at the opposition’s September 20 multiparty conference in which he had lashed out at the army, saying there was “a state above the state in the country” and the conference’s communique calling for an end to “establishment’s interference in politics” and “no role of armed forces and intelligence agencies” in future elections.

Earlier on Sept 21, a day after the opposition’s MPC, federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed revealed that major opposition figures, including Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N’s parliamentary leader in National Assembly Khawaja Asif and PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal, had met the COAS and the DG ISI in recent days.

That interaction was held on the military’s invitation for a discussion on the impending changes in the constitutional status of Gilgit-Baltistan though political issues and opposition’s concerns also came up during the meeting.

'Keep army out of politics'

Maj Gen Iftikhar said the COAS during his two meetings with Zubair “made it clear to him that their (Sharifs') legal issues would be addressed in court, while political matters were to be dealt in the parliament”.

The military spokesman added that Zubair was categorically conveyed that the army should be kept out of political matters.

Appearing on television channels afterwards and later through his Twitter account, Zubair did confirm his contacts with the military leadership but claimed that he had gone to discuss economic and governance issues. However, he admitted that the subject of Nawaz and Maryam did come up during the discussion.

“Gen Qamar Bajwa is an old friend and not only that I have met him many times as a friend but our families have also been meeting cordially over dinners etc. In my most recent meeting with him economy, politics and, of course, Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, all came under discussion. No relief was ever requested,” the PML-N leader tweeted.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1581404/n...ing-private-meetings-with-military-leadership

Can a convicted, absconding, permanently disqualified from politics individual remain in charge officially or by defacto in the background of his political party?

 

[MenInG]

Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on Saturday said that the Pakistan Army continued to support the government, whenever asked, according to the guidelines of the Constitution and the law.

Addressing the passing out parade of cadets at the Pakistan Military Academy Kakul, Gen Bajwa said the army had always supported the nation in the same way the nation had supported the army, especially when it was fighting physical battles.

He added that the army would continue to support the government and "defend our democratic values to the hilt".

"We Pakistanis have proved that we can do wonders when we keep our national interests above our parochial, institutional and personal interests," he said.

He told the cadets that they were joining an army that "not only defeated the scourge of terrorism but also gave a bloody nose to an army five times bigger in February 2019".

Talking about the diversity of people recruited in the army, he said the Pakistan Army was a true reflection of the nation it represented. "You are a true microcosm of Pakistan," he told them.

Gen Bajwa cautioned the cadets that they would be held accountable for the prosperity and security of Pakistan, terming it a "unique burden of love and responsibility".

"I count it as a great honour that we stand before the nation as a trusted and accountable institution," he said.

"You must realise that peace is not an end in itself. Our efforts of decades will be wasted if we cannot protect the base from where our nation will rise to the heights of economic sovereignty and ideological maturity, thus truly becoming Quaid's Pakistan."

The COAS said that Pakistan's institutions were growing stronger and were working together to serve the country.

"Like many countries in the past, we have also been subjected to wars and economic strangulation but we have survived. Now it is only through the synergy and actualisation of our true national potential that we shall rise and progress."

He said Pakistan's enemies were feeling "frustrated" because they had failed to cause doom and destruction and were now subjecting the country to a "24/7 hybrid war".

"This war is not fought on the battlefield but in the minds. In this new war, leadership at all levels is the target. The objective of hybrid war is to target the sense of hope in Pakistan and to perpetuate the perception that yahan kuch acha nahi ho sakta (nothing good can happen here). Let me tell you, yahan sab acha hoga (everything will be good here)," he added.

He advised the cadets not to get confused between genuine criticism and hybrid warfare. "Do not confuse sincere critique from hybrid. Most voices that might seem loud to you might come from a place of love, patriotism and trust and therefore, must be heeded," he said.

"We must listen to our people and apply corrections where needed. These voices are proof that we are alive and well as a nation that is moving in the right direction."

Gen Bajwa said that the actions of the army were guided by the Constitution and the national interests of Pakistan, adding that the country was secure from a "military point of view".