Pak Army Not To Impose Martial Law, Says It ‘Believes In Democracy’

International

oi-Sanjeev Nayak

After four days of political turmoil over former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s arrest, Pakistan’s Army today sought to clarify that it would not impose martial law in the country as “its leadership believes in democracy.”

Pakistani channel Geo News quoted Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), as saying, “I want to say very clearly that General Asim Munir (Army Chief) and the Army’s leadership wholeheartedly support democracy and will continue to do so. The imposition of martial law is out of the question.”

He also refuted the reports that there is disunity in the Army’s leadership and difference of opinion over the issue of Imran Khan’s arrest. Reports are emanating from Pakistan that several Brigadier, Colonel and Major level officers of the Pakistan Army have been sacked because they refused to open fire at the protesters.

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“The Army Chief and the Army’s senior leadership completely believe in democracy,” the military’s top spokesperson told the channel. Chaudhry also rubbished the reports of many Army officers resigning due to the ongoing chaos.

“Despite all-out efforts of internal miscreants and external enemies, the Army remains united under Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir. The dreams of creating division within the Army will remain dreams. Neither anyone has resigned nor disobeyed any order,” he asserted.

Massive violence erupted across the country after Pakistani Rangers arrested Khan in an unbecoming manner. His supporters and workers of his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) mainly targeted Army installations and convoys. They even torched the residence of the Corps Commander in Lahore and ran over the Army headquarters in Rawalpindi, creating a civil war-like situation in the country.

Khan was later released on the orders of the Islamabad High Court. In a video released today, he launched a direct attack on Army Chief General Asim Munir and squarely blamed him for creating the chaos in the country. “I am not against the institution but today the Pakistan Army is getting maligned because of one man – The Pakistan Army Chief,” Khan was seen saying in the video.

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The ISPR called the PTI leaders “hypocrites” for inciting their workers against the armed forces on the one hand, and praising the military – in a bid to overshadow their criticism – on the other. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif came out in Gen Munir’s support saying the PTI chairman’s latest statement depicted his “cheap mentality” towards the armed forces, reported Geo News.

The Army remains Pakistan’s most powerful institution, having ruled the country directly for close to half of its 75-year history through three coups while ruling it indirectly for the rest half through the puppet regimes propped up by it.