ISLAMABAD: Pakistan army sacked three officers, including a three-star general for their negligence to defend the military’s installations.
The Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry during a press conference on Monday said that disciplinary proceedings against 18 army officers have been initiated.
He said that following ‘May 9 attacks’ on the military’s installations, two high-level inquiries headed by major generals commenced.
May 9 a ‘black chapter’: Army says will not allow anyone to take law into their hands
He said that the inquiries examined each and every detail of the attacks on monuments, GHQ, Jinnah House, and garrisons, and recommended action against certain officers, adding that on the basis of the recommendations of the court of inquires, three officers including a Lt-Gen have been sacked while the disciplinary proceeding against 15 officers including three two-star major generals and seven brigadiers have been concluded.
He further divulged that two close relatives of retired four-star generals including a granddaughter and son-in-law of two retired generals, spouses of retired three-star and two-star generals, and son-in-law of a two-star general are undergoing the strict self-accountability proceedings of the army.
He said that the relatives of those who sacrificed their lives for the country have been asking the army chief to take action against those who desecrated the monuments of the Shuhadas.
The miscreants hurt the sentiments of martyrs’ families and they have been questioning whether their loved ones laid their lives for someone’s political agenda.
These families also demand action against the perpetrators and masterminds of the May 9 tragedy and expect the army chief to ensure the sanctity of the martyred officers and Jawans. They are also raising the question that if the martyrs are not given the due respect then why one would sacrifice their life, he added.
The DG ISPR said that the military was being targeted for over a year for vested political interest and lust for power, whereas, May 9 was the time when the anti-army rhetoric was at its peak when the naive people were persuaded for a false revolution.
“The people were incited to wage mutiny,” he said, while adding that the available evidence proved that the masterminds and the facilitators were brainwashing the public against the military’s leadership.
He said that following the arrest of (Imran Khan) over 20 military installations in Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Mardan, Chakdara, Lahore, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Mianwali, and Multan were attacked.
According to him, the 3-4 masterminds and 10-12 planners attempted to aggravate the May 9 situation as they thought the military would react in a way that would suit their nefarious design but the army has shown restraint.
The DG ISPR said that justice for May 9 tragedy will not be served unless the culprits are taken to task; otherwise, any political group would repeat this for vested interest and the life, property, and respect of citizens could not be ensured.
In case the masterminds are not being dealt with it would lead to internal strife which ultimately would pave the way for external aggression, he added.
Maj Gen Chaudhry disclosed that 17 standing military courts are operating across the country even prior to May 9 under the Pakistan Army Act (PAA).
He said that 102 miscreants are being tried in the military courts and their cases were transferred from the civil courts in accordance with law after examining the available evidence.
He further said that the accused being tried in the military courts are entitled to all the legal rights provided in the law including the right to have a lawyer of their choice and filing of appeals before the high courts and the Supreme Court.
The spokesman said that the PAA is part of the legal framework for several decades, hundreds of cases have been decided under this law, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) also validated the due process of decisions of military courts after due deliberation.
Though the DG ISPR repeatedly stressed the need of taking action against the masterminds and facilitators of the May 9 incidents, he; however, did not accuse any politician.
When asked about the politicians, who were accused of involvement in the May 9 incident but were apparently cleared after their press conferences denouncing the attacks, Maj Gen Chaudhry responded, if a politician holds a press conference or not, leaves a party or doesn’t, it is his personal act. As far as May 9 incidents and their outcomes are concerned, it has no effect on it.
He said that during the last one year, 95 officers and Jawans laid their lives for the motherland, and the army, as well as, law enforcement agencies killed 1,172 terrorists in 13,619 intelligence-based operations across the country.
In response to a question regarding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s repeated offer for dialogue with the military establishment, the spokesman said that the army leadership in the special meeting of the Corps Commanders has urged political stakeholders to reach a national consensus.
He also dispelled the impression of imposing censorship on the media but advised them to follow an ethical code.
He also dismissed the accusation of human rights violations and claimed that fake videos are being disseminated on social media to create such an impression. He; however, said that the federal government is making efforts to address the issue of fake social media posts.
The military’s spokesman also distanced the army from the successive press conferences of politicians who are leaving the PTI almost on a daily basis, after the May 9 incidents. While talking about the crippling economy and political instability, he said the Pakistan Army has always played a positive role in the stability of the national economy and politics.
Last year’s defence budget was about 16 per cent of the national budget. This time it has reduced to about 12.5 per cent. The current defence budget is the lowest defence budget in history, he maintained. Pakistan Army has managed the reduction in the defence budget through its belt-tightening measures.
The Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) is an encouraging and positive step taken by the Government of Pakistan to facilitate foreign investment in various sectors, the DG ISPR said.
The role of the army is to lead Pakistan towards positive economic development through its management and technical skills.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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