Gen Raheel saved Musharraf, says Qadir Baloch

Claims Gen Raheel told him that he would not stab anybody in the back; he was not part of the move against govt; Gen Bajwa needs to move ahead of his predecessor for the nation to accept his command

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch has said that Gen Raheel Sharif is a thorough professional. He said before the sit-ins, Gen Raheel told him that he belongs to a good family and was a professional. He said Gen Raheel told him that he will not stab anybody in the back, adding that there are indications that Gen Raheel saved General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

He said General Raheel did not want to remove an elected government through an undemocratic act. He said it was hard to say that the civil and military leaderships were on the same page. He said like his predecessor, Gen Qamar Bajwa will also be seen everywhere.

He said Gen Bajwa has to move ahead of Gen Raheel for the nation to accept his command.

Baloch was talking in the Geo News programme Jirga, hosted by Salim Safi. He said Gen Raheel could have sat back like his predecessors but he rose to the occasion and joined hands with the civilian government to solve the problems the country was facing.

He said some people tried to give the impression that civilian and military leaderships were not on the same page. He said Gen Raheel told him before sit-ins that he will not be a part of any activity against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

He said Gen Raheel told him that he did not want to stab anybody in the back. He said Gen Raheel told him that it was kind of Nawaz to appoint him as the COAS. He said Gen Raheel did not want to hinder the democratic process.

He said supporters of Pervez Musharraf gave the PTI and PAT the impression that Gen Raheel was with him and ready to raise his finger for them. He said he was sure that Gen Raheel was not on the back of the sit-ins and he did not have any information about the role of the ISI in those protests.

He said the army was concerned about the fate of Musharraf but there are indications that Gen Raheel saved Musharraf. He said there could be differences between the civilian and military leaderships on the issue of governance but it should not come to the media.

He said the Operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched in Fata and Balochistan and there was no difference between the civilian and military leaderships on the issue of countering terrorism. He said there was a difference between both the leaderships on the issue of dealing with seminaries imparting Jihadi training, religious elements and Karachi.

He said he does not know of any differences on the issue of dealing with India while cultural relations with India could not sustain in this situation. He said Gen Bajwa was close to Gen Raheel in his thought and approach. He said Gen Bajwa was an open man and he will not try to gain political advantage.