ISLAMABAD Delving into the details of the rescue operation, DG ISPR Asif Ghafoor said the Canadian journalist and his American wife had been kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2012 and were held captive on the Afghan soil. However, a day before the Pakistan Army received intelligence from the US forces that the Taliban were transferring the hostage family to Pakistan. “Upon receiving this information at 4pm we sent our troops and by 7pm we were able to recover the Canadian journalist, his wife and their three children.”
Responding to a question, the DG ISPR said the government and security forces have maintained a clear stance in recent meetings with the US officials. “We have told the Americans that Pakistan has done enough and further cooperation and engagement will take it [our efforts] towards endurance and stability.”
Ghafoor insisted that the world should realize that the security situation in Pakistan has changed. “The situation in Pakistan has changed as post Zarb-e-Azb, Radd-ul-Fasaad is also going on so we don’t have any terrorist-organised sanctuaries anymore.”
He added that whatever has to be done by Pakistan on its land is done by Pakistan itself. “Many countries could not face terrorism. Our forces have full capacity,” he said. “We can never allow any foreign boot on our ground.”
In reference to discussions about Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s recent statement about the weak state of Pakistan’s economy, the ISPR head said that if the economy of the country is not bad, “it is not good either”.
“There is a strong connection between security and the economy. The bad law-and-order situation affects the economy. Pakistan Army looks after security issues in the country,” he said.
Maj-Gen Ghafoor accepted that there was a need for further discussions on the subject while noting that the army chief has just given some suggestions for improving the economy.
Meanwhile, regarding the issue of religious minorities serving in the military, the artillery officer said, “Pakistan Army is a national army. There is no rule that we will or will not only take troops of a particular religion just because we are a Muslim country. We proudly say that the Pakistan Army is emblematic of national integration. When we put on our uniform, we are brothers, irrespective of religion, province or clan.”
He added that Pakistan Army reflects national demographics and is mostly Muslim, but with representation from all minority faiths including Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and Ahmadis.
He also said that Muslim soldiers are already required to sign a declaration certifying that they are not Ahmadi. “I think Capt (retd) Safdar has forgotten that he also signed this certificate,” he added.