PTI leaders assail Bajwa on social media

ISLAMABAD: Various PTI leaders harshly criticised Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa on social media as he retired on Tuesday.

Commenting on Bajwa’s statement — “I will fade into obscurity but my spiritual relationship with the army will remain” — PTI’s Central Secretary for Information Farrukh Habib tweeted that the repute Bajwa has earned would not fade away as country’s economy collapsed over the past eight months “while Shehbaz, Maryam, Zardari got NRO.”

Party Senior Vice-President Dr. Shireen Mazari said there is massive damage control that the new GHQ set-up will have to undertake post departure of Gen Bajwa.

“This does not begin by ..... seeing every critical tweet by an individual as an instigation to mutiny. An immediate end to enforced disappearances needed & information given to families of the missing as to the fate of their loved ones. State can’t continue with business as usual & civil-mly relations need a total reset in sync with r Constitution,” she said in a series of tweets.

She contended, “21 FIRs against Azam Swati in Sindh & Balochistan....the petulance of those doing this is dangerous because this vendetta against Senator Swati can lead to his murder. No wonder with 1 man’s departure so many feel...”

“...But those who ask questions can be abducted, tortured or worse simply for asking! Let’s hope it will truly be,” she charged.

Separately, PTI Central Secretary General Asad Umar, in a statement, urged the new army chief to restore the relationship of trust between the army and the nation, which was badly hurt by the decisions taken during the last eight months.

In a statement, Asad Umar said that Bajwa left behind a legacy of political turmoil, a shattered economy and worst of all a fracturing of the relationship of trust between the army and citizens, with his decisions, adding neither this relationship could be one-sided nor could it be obtained through use of force and coercion. Asad Umar said the nation still felt proud of the soldiers who defended the country.