RAWALPINDI – Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General MajorGeneral Asif Ghafoor Thursday termed the Special Court’s verdict againstformer president Pervez Musharraf “void of humanity, religion and civilizedvalues”.
The today’s verdict, especially the words used in the written ordertransgressed “humanity, religion, culture and any other values,” he saidwhile addressing a news conference after a detailed judgment was issued bythe Special Court, sentencing the former president in a high treason case.
Following the short verdict on December 17, he said the ISPR had issued aswift statement, saying the “decision given by the Special Court has beenreceived with lot of pain and anguish by the rank and file of PakistanArmed Forces.”
The ISPR DG said the Pakistan Army had expressed its apprehensions, whichstood true after the release of detailed judgment.
The ISPR DG said the Armed Forces were an organized institution and itsmembers had taken oath to sacrifice their lives for the defence andsecurity of the motherland. “We have practically demonstrated it in thepast 20 years (and) achieved what no other country or army in the worldcould get.”
He said the Army did make those accomplishments with the full support ofnation.
Currently, the country was facing a hybrid war and “we are fully aware ofthis changing nature and character of war. We also understand the enemy,its facilitators and possible designs.”
He said the enemy wanted to destabilize the country both internally andexternally, but the Armed Forces, being a national security institution,had a “complete visibility” of the entire picture that how attempts werebeing made to weaken Pakistan internally.
“The attempts are still on…. And taking advantage of that…. externalthreats could be implemented.”
In the prevailing situation, the ISPR DG said, some elements wanted “toprovoke us to fight with each other by launching internal and externalattacks” with the motive to defeat Pakistan. “Since we know about thethreat, our response is also in place.”
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He said the Pakistan Army had handled the external attacks and the scourgeof terrorism in the country in an effective manner, and “by the Grace ofAllah Almighty, the current design of anti-state powers will also becountered with complete comprehension.”
The ISPR DG said Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa,during his recent visit to Special Services Group (SSG) Headquarters,observed: “We have travelled a long journey for stability of the countrywith great sacrifices rendered by the nation, institutions, including theArmed Forces, and will never let our efforts go waste.
The Armed Forces would never let the enemy designs to reverse thatstability come what may, and stop moving towards the goal and fail bothinternal and external enemies, he quoted the COAS as saying.
He said the Armed Forces were not only an institution rather a family. “Weare the nation’s force, which stands firmly with the power of faith and thepublic support. We know how to defend our country, and also maintain thehonour and integrity of the institution.”
The country, he said, was, however, first for them and the institution wassecondary. “If the country today needs the institution’s sacrifices and itsperformance, and our (the nation’s ) unity, we will not fall prey to theenemy’s conspiracies and let the things worsen.”
He said the Army Chief had a detailed meeting with the prime minister overthe detailed verdict given in Pervez Musharraf’s case. They worked out afuture course of action in that regard, keeping in view the feelings of thePakistan Army and the sentiments of the patriot Pakistanis, who knew thechallenges being faced by the country, he added.
For the last few years, he said, the government and the army had beenjointly working to take the country in the direction where it had nothreats. “We will Insha Allah achieve that goal.”
“We will not let the country slide into anarchy, keeping its integrityintact as well as that of the institution,” he said. “The enemies will begiven a befitting response whether they are internal or external or theirfacilitators and handlers.”
