President Arif Alvi says comments about Bajwa backing PTI concocted

The News stands by its story

ISLAMABAD: President Arif Alvi on Monday stated comments about former army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa have been “wrongly attributed.”

The News in its story, published on Monday (December 26) reported President Alvi as saying that Bajwa had helped Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Senate and also during the elections.

A statement issued by the President House said, “President Dr Arif Alvi has taken notice of the statement wrongly attributed to him about the alleged help extended by the former chief of army staff, Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa, and his team in the Senate, and their help to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) during the elections also. The statement has been quoted out of reference to the context and is twisted and self-concocted.”

Oonib Azam adds: The president was speaking during a wide-ranging conversation with journalists, leaders of the business community and foreign diplomats at a dinner on Saturday, which The News reported.

Journalist Mazhar Abbas asked the president about charge sheet of former premier Imran Khan against Bajwa and how Khan was rendered powerless during his regime at the hands of Bajwa. Abbas went on asking how factual the chargesheet was. The president asked in return can you recognize the fact.

“When things happened to journalists (while Imran Khan was premier), I was told there was no hand of then then government,” the president said, adding that people like Shireen Mazari had to concede they had no power when journalists were mistreated. The president went on to say that there “was a lot of interference” in the affairs of the NAB. “Remember the three legged race when you were in school. When you’re tied together you know, you have to run. It was, I think, a three legged race for three or four years, trying a make a go at things and run it,” he said.

The president remarked that although the other side maintained that they had become neutral and they did not push people away, he believed there was some pushing away to ditch them. Abbas again interjected and said how Nawaz Sharif sacked two army chiefs, whether Khan at any stage thought of sacking Gen Bajwa. To this, the president replied, “No, I don’t think so. That was a rumour.”

Abbas again asked if it was not true that Gen Bajwa and his team helped Imran Khan in the senate. “They must have, you know they helped PTI during the elections. I am aware of that, you are aware of it,” the president responded and Abbas smiled and said what the charge sheet was about then. The News holds the recording of the president’s statements as well, and stands by its story.