Ayaz didn’t talk about COAS, Fawad tells Indian TV

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry has clarified that PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq's controversial comment had nothing to do with Pakistan's army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.

Speaking to an Indian channel, Chaudhry said a statement made last week in the Parliament by the former speaker of the National Assembly was meant for Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and had nothing to do with COAS Gen Bajwa. “You asked me [for my comment] and listened to me so I thank you for that,” the minister told the Indian anchorperson. However, the journalist accused Chaudhry of “going back on your words”.

“You’re saying you were talking about the events from October 14, that you never talked about October 26. What was one of your colleagues saying yesterday? He had claimed that ‘India would have attacked by 9pm’ and ‘our Army chief was sweating’.

“So who’s speaking the truth: him or you,” the Indian anchorperson asked, referring to Chaudhry and the Ayaz Sadiq statement. To which, Chaudhry responded by saying: “See, politicians issue such statements to discredit each other and I’ll tell you once again that in the statement he [Ayaz Sadiq] gave, he never even mentioned the Army chief.” Ayaz Sadiq, the minister added, “was talking about our foreign minister and he said that because he’s against us [in the Opposition]”. “It’s obvious that just like politicians in India keep pulling each other’s legs, the same happens in Pakistan as well and it’s the same throughout the world. “And again, he never took Army chief Gen Bajwa’s name,” Chaudhry clarified.