Targeting the key institutes for self-interests
RIFT which had already been created between the PTI and the then joint opposition-an alliance of the PDM further widened after the ouster of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chairman of the PTI, through vote of no-confidence, passed in the National Assembly (NA) by the then joint opposition 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, demanding early election, and announced to launch a mass movement against the PDM regime after Eidul Fitr—march and sit-in at Islamabad.
On Khan’s call, the PTI on April 10 and April 16, 2022 staged countrywide protests against the “imported government”.
Following the refusal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja to resign, PTI has also announced to stage protests outside the offices of the Election Commission of Pakistan across the country from 26 April 2020.
Addressing massive crowd in major cities, the ex-Premier Khan almost repeated his previous statements.
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 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 (NSC).
Recently, a statement of ISPR has, again, clarified it.Babar also added that Imran Khan contacted the military leadership.
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 28 July 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.
Now, PTI’s workers have been distorting Army’s image in such a way that general masses have forgotten the sacrifices and services of the defence forces.
Undoubtedly, Pakistan’s defence forces and ISI have successfully broken the backbone of the foreign-backed terrorists.Peace has been restored in country’s vulnerable regions.
Recall defence 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 unfavourable 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 some other political entities, including media persons are moving the country towards anarchy or civil war by giving priority to their personal interests over national interests. They are targeting the key institutes for their self-interests.
At this critical hour, 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 is contributing columnist, based in Lahore.
