Why did ISI DG Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum have to hold a presser?

ISLAMABAD: After the October 27 news conference of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt-Gen Nadeem Anjum, who rarely makes public appearances, the whole country is lost in wonder about what made him come out in public and brief the media.

When we spoke to highly-placed military sources in this regard, they told us several reasons why General Nadeem Anjum had to come and speak himself. Answering us in detail, the military sources said: “a state of war is an environment that threatens the survival of the State. When the State is in a state of war, the people and the army tackle it together. Be it a soldier or the most senior officer, everyone enters the field.”

“Today, the question being asked is as to why the ISI’s Director-General Lt-Gen Nadeem Anjum had to come before the media himself. The answer is hidden in the question itself. An officer who had kept himself even from publishing his pictures was forced to take such a big step just because the country is in a difficult time.

“Attempts are being made to discredit the Pakistan Army on the killing of Arshad Sharif by creating propaganda against it; to turn the FATF success [in exiting from its grey list] into failure; to make nuclear assets unsafe; to present the country as a failed and terrorist country; to turn friends into enemies in the name of a cipher; to divide and disintegrate the nation by raising false slogans of religion; to destroy the economy by throwing a new spanner every day; and to scare away investment by repeatedly alluding to [the economic crisis] in Sri Lanka. Calling their own army names and embarrassing them, aspersions are being cast on those who have been putting up with it all patiently for the last eight months. Linking false and fake statements to top officials, people are being misled.”

“On the other hand, the army was asked why they were silent; whether they were scared or they were also part of this narrative behind the scenes. All these things had to be answered. But before that, every effort was made to quietly stop Imran Khan from trying to spread anarchy, and ensure peace. But when the matter crossed the limit, this step had to be taken for the sake of the people, for the sake of the country.”

The sources said that according to their own people ‘there will be bloodshed, people will die, bodies will fall’ in the Long March. If God forbid, it so happened the responsibility will be put on the army and they will start defaming it. This is the real conspiracy. Because Imran Khan does not want power. He knows that it will be impossible for him to run the country after what he has done to it, especially when he won’t have the army’s help and the institutions are angry with him.

“Now the nation should think for itself if saving people from death and the country from anarchy is cowardice, bargaining, weakness, or bravery. Senior officers left their offices behind and came forward to tell the truth to the nation so that it realized the seriousness and sensitivity of the matter. We are soldiers and will continue to fight against every enemy on every front. On the other hand, since Imran Khan was making false statements by taking the names of top officials, it was necessary to give a direct reply.”