Army chief asking world, ministers telling Pakistan to do more, says Nisar

ISLAMABAD: Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Jeved Bajwa was asking the world to do more while ministers were asking Pakistan to do more.

The spokesperson for former interior minister said that it was quite strange that the army chief was saying that Pakistan had offered huge sacrifices. “The world must appreciate and acknowledge our efforts and should do more but the foreign minister and the interior minister are asserting that Pakistan should do more,” he said and added that these two persons had been ministers for the past four and a half years. “Have they ever spoken before the cabinet meeting or during National Security Committee meeting over this issue? Does the minister realise how much his statement has been appreciated and publicised in India and how is it used by India to substantiate its baseless claim that the problem is with Pakistan?” he said.

Responding to the remarks of the foreign minister made during his recent interview to a private news channel, the spokesperson said while commenting on the issues of national importance, facts and figures should be made the basis of the argument rather than making assumption and telling riddles.

The spokesperson said that the fact of the matter was that even after incurring heaviest toll including martyrdom of over 26,000 persons, injuries to over 70,000 people and an economic loss of over $100 billion, Pakistan was still criticised and even humiliated internationally.

“One main reason for this criticism is that we ourselves are in the habit of ridiculing and humiliating our country with our statements and attitude. We provide the foreign powers an opportunity to blame us for their own failures,” he said.

The spokesperson asked if it was not there a marked improvement in the internal security situation today as compared to the one that they faced in 2013-14. The improvement, continued the spokesperson, had resulted by the grace of Almighty and joint efforts and not under any coercion or help from outside. He said that federal and provincial governments, armed forces, civil armed forces, intelligence agencies had contributed in this joint effort. The spokesperson said if the minister saw any weakness or shortcoming, he should have taken remedial measures or should have raised the issue before the cabinet or the National Security Committee. 

The ministers should come up with the solutions and not make mere statements, he asserted.

The spokesperson said that, of course, there were some weaknesses and shortcomings vis-à-vis national security but these issues should be addressed through consultation, hard work and consensus. One should not make fun of it before the entire world through statements. 

The spokesperson said that national security issues are very sensitive and one should consider national interest before speaking about these sensitive matters.

“This is also a fact, unfortunately, that such statements are made to criticise our intelligence agencies and armed forces. But if this is the case, one should have the moral courage to do plain talk rather than asking riddles,” said the spokesperson for the former interior minister.

Clarifying another news item, the spokesperson said that the news given by an anchor of a private TV channel, putting his own words into the mouth of Ms Kalsoom Nawaz, was totally ridiculous, baseless, provocative and 100 percent lie.

“What is most surprising is that why he recalled such a thing after passage of almost 17 years. This is a matter of serious concern that Ms Kalsoom Nawaz is unwell these days and she is not in a position to comment over such news,” he said. 

The spokesperson said that any attempt to make Ms Kalsoom Nawaz controversial especially during the time when she was not well was inappropriate.