Announcement proved army's assertion: ISPR

Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said on Thursday that detailed verdict in the case against Musharraf transgresses humanity, religion and moral value. Addressing a press conference after the detailed verdict in the high treason case against Gen Pervez Musharraf (retd) was issued, DG ISPR Gen Ghafoor said that the reservations of the armed forces have "proven true."

"The concerns expressed in response to the short verdict in the case against Musharraf have proven true today after the detailed verdict," he said.

Terming the verdict "beyond humanity, religion, culture and any other values," he said the military had already expressed its reservations after Musharraf was sentenced to death by a Special Court on the charges of high treason.

Responding to sections of the verdict criticizing the army for political interference, he further said that Pakistan Army is a "responsible institution" and its soldiers "have taken an oath to protect the country."

Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said that "the country comes first and the institution comes later" for the armed forces.

Maj Gen Ghafoor said the Pakistan armed forces are very organized and its members have taken the oath to sacrifice their lives for the defense of the national security.

Speaking about the gains made by Pakistan Army, ostensibly in the war against terrorism, Maj Gen Ghafoor said a lot has been achieved over the last 20 years.

"We will not let this stability be reversed under any circumstances," he said categorically. "Pakistan Army will foil the attempts of external as well as internal enemies," he added.

The DG ISPR said that the Army armed forces know how to defend the institution's integrity and "will give an effective response to internal and external enemies of the state."

"We have been fighting conventional wars, then sub-conventional wars and now we are facing a hybrid war," he said.

"We are fully aware of this changing nature and character of war. We also understand the enemy, its facilitators, abettors, supervisors and their possible designs," he added.

The DG ISPR said that efforts are being made to weaken Pakistan externally. He said that some elements are trying to destabilize the country by making people fight with one another.

He said the country is currently facing threats from both internal and external sources, and cited a recent statement by the Indian army chief in this regard.

"Some people are dreaming that they can defeat Pakistan," he said. "This will not happen. If we know about the threat then our response is also in place."

The DG ISPR continued saying that Pakistan Army has successfully defended attacks from abroad and defeated insurgencies in the country. "InshAllah (God willing), we will also fight the current design being pushed by anti-state elements," he said.

He said that the Prime Minister and Army Chief had detailed conversation over the verdict.

"The Army Chief met the Prime Minister and conveyed the sentiments of the Armed Forces to him; however, the decisions taken in the meeting will be shared in coming days."

He said that Pakistan Army and the government have been working for the past couple of years to take Pakistan into a direction where it is safe from prevalent dangers. "We are taking Pakistan in that direction and we will successfully do so," he said.