ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani navy ought to take a U-turn on its assist to the “failed” authorities headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, ousted premier Imran Khan has mentioned, urging the highly effective generals to assessment their determination as any flawed transfer by them would additional widen the gulf between the individuals and the institution.
Addressing a seminar organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) right here on Saturday, Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social gathering mentioned that the entire nation was trying towards the institution as they’ve energy.
Khan mentioned it was vital for leaders and generals to take ‘U-turns’ as nobody ought to think about himself infallible.
The longer the present setup runs, the extra damaging it could be for the nation, mentioned Khan, who has been complaining in regards to the highly effective navy abandoning him through the political disaster earlier this 12 months.
Khan, who got here to energy in 2018, apparently misplaced the assist of the Military after he refused to endorse the appointment of the ISI spy company chief final 12 months.
Lastly, he agreed but it surely soured his ties with the navy, which has dominated the coup-prone nation for greater than half of its 75 years of existence and has wielded appreciable energy within the issues of safety and international coverage.
Khan urged the institution to take a U-turn on its assist for the incumbent authorities led by Prime Minister Sharif. He mentioned cash-strapped Pakistan stood at a vital juncture and it was essential that the “proper selections” had been made at this time.
Khan mentioned that backing a “failed” authorities would additional widen the gulf between the individuals and the institution.
He questioned whether or not the choice taken by the navy institution behind “closed doorways” to assist the incumbent regime was helpful to Pakistan.
“Who instructed them that the choice (to again Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz led by Sharif) was a greater choice?” Khan requested.
“The nation is trying in the direction of the institution as a result of they’ve the ability,” Khan mentioned, including that the present set-up would destabilise Pakistan politically and economically.
Khan additionally mentioned that the nation couldn’t afford a weak military after witnessing the plight of these international locations which didn’t construct a powerful navy.
On the identical time, the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, emphasised that the institution ought to differentiate between constructive and damaging criticism.
He spoke about enforced disappearances and a clampdown on journalists beneath his regime and mentioned that his authorities had nothing to do with whisking individuals away or restrictions on media.
“I used to be by no means afraid of media… [I] was probably the most criticised PM… [yet] I by no means tried to bribe journalists or take motion in opposition to them,” the previous prime minister claimed.
He mentioned “constructive criticism” was essential.
“After we got here to the federal government, we obtained to know that oftentimes individuals had been picked up on [the pretext of] nationwide safety.”
Khan mentioned he spoke to Military chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa when Gen Faiz Hamid was the chief of the ISI, which resulted within the launch of many forcibly disappeared individuals.
“They [army] mentioned the issue was relating to the judiciary,” he mentioned, including that the reason offered to him was that it was tough to prosecute a terrorist in court docket as a result of a scarcity of proof or witnesses.
Nonetheless, he mentioned, an settlement was reached and his authorities was engaged on a invoice that may have, not less than, saved the households of the lacking individuals within the loop.
Khan additionally distanced his authorities from the kidnapping of journalists through the rule of the PTI authorities.
“Shireen [Mazari] is aware of, it got here up in Cupboard three or 4 instances that some journalist was picked up; no journalist was picked up on my directions, [as] the issue was one thing else,” Khan added.
Disputing Khan’s stance that there have been no restrictions on the press throughout his tenure, Data Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb mentioned there are studies about restrictions positioned on the press through the PTI period, including that vile campaigns had been launched on social media in opposition to journalists.
“Imran Khan is saying that in my authorities the media was free, there was no restriction or censorship on the media,” she mentioned whereas displaying varied clippings relating to censorship throughout the federal government of the PTI. These included studies by Reporters With out Borders, Human Rights Watch, and the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE).
She additionally talked about circumstances of on-line harassment, kidnappings and threats confronted by media individuals, together with girls journalists and restrictions on digital and print media through the earlier authorities.
Individually, former president and Pakistan Peoples Social gathering (PPP) chief Asif Zardari additionally reacted to Khan’s statements.
In a press release, he mentioned that Imran Khan ought to have realised the significance of a free press whereas he was ruling the nation and termed the PTI authorities “the blackest part” for press freedom within the nation’s historical past, in response to the Daybreak report.
Addressing a seminar organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) right here on Saturday, Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social gathering mentioned that the entire nation was trying towards the institution as they’ve energy.
Khan mentioned it was vital for leaders and generals to take ‘U-turns’ as nobody ought to think about himself infallible.
The longer the present setup runs, the extra damaging it could be for the nation, mentioned Khan, who has been complaining in regards to the highly effective navy abandoning him through the political disaster earlier this 12 months.
Khan, who got here to energy in 2018, apparently misplaced the assist of the Military after he refused to endorse the appointment of the ISI spy company chief final 12 months.
Lastly, he agreed but it surely soured his ties with the navy, which has dominated the coup-prone nation for greater than half of its 75 years of existence and has wielded appreciable energy within the issues of safety and international coverage.
Khan urged the institution to take a U-turn on its assist for the incumbent authorities led by Prime Minister Sharif. He mentioned cash-strapped Pakistan stood at a vital juncture and it was essential that the “proper selections” had been made at this time.
Khan mentioned that backing a “failed” authorities would additional widen the gulf between the individuals and the institution.
He questioned whether or not the choice taken by the navy institution behind “closed doorways” to assist the incumbent regime was helpful to Pakistan.
“Who instructed them that the choice (to again Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz led by Sharif) was a greater choice?” Khan requested.
“The nation is trying in the direction of the institution as a result of they’ve the ability,” Khan mentioned, including that the present set-up would destabilise Pakistan politically and economically.
Khan additionally mentioned that the nation couldn’t afford a weak military after witnessing the plight of these international locations which didn’t construct a powerful navy.
On the identical time, the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, emphasised that the institution ought to differentiate between constructive and damaging criticism.
He spoke about enforced disappearances and a clampdown on journalists beneath his regime and mentioned that his authorities had nothing to do with whisking individuals away or restrictions on media.
“I used to be by no means afraid of media… [I] was probably the most criticised PM… [yet] I by no means tried to bribe journalists or take motion in opposition to them,” the previous prime minister claimed.
He mentioned “constructive criticism” was essential.
“After we got here to the federal government, we obtained to know that oftentimes individuals had been picked up on [the pretext of] nationwide safety.”
Khan mentioned he spoke to Military chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa when Gen Faiz Hamid was the chief of the ISI, which resulted within the launch of many forcibly disappeared individuals.
“They [army] mentioned the issue was relating to the judiciary,” he mentioned, including that the reason offered to him was that it was tough to prosecute a terrorist in court docket as a result of a scarcity of proof or witnesses.
Nonetheless, he mentioned, an settlement was reached and his authorities was engaged on a invoice that may have, not less than, saved the households of the lacking individuals within the loop.
Khan additionally distanced his authorities from the kidnapping of journalists through the rule of the PTI authorities.
“Shireen [Mazari] is aware of, it got here up in Cupboard three or 4 instances that some journalist was picked up; no journalist was picked up on my directions, [as] the issue was one thing else,” Khan added.
Disputing Khan’s stance that there have been no restrictions on the press throughout his tenure, Data Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb mentioned there are studies about restrictions positioned on the press through the PTI period, including that vile campaigns had been launched on social media in opposition to journalists.
“Imran Khan is saying that in my authorities the media was free, there was no restriction or censorship on the media,” she mentioned whereas displaying varied clippings relating to censorship throughout the federal government of the PTI. These included studies by Reporters With out Borders, Human Rights Watch, and the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE).
She additionally talked about circumstances of on-line harassment, kidnappings and threats confronted by media individuals, together with girls journalists and restrictions on digital and print media through the earlier authorities.
Individually, former president and Pakistan Peoples Social gathering (PPP) chief Asif Zardari additionally reacted to Khan’s statements.
In a press release, he mentioned that Imran Khan ought to have realised the significance of a free press whereas he was ruling the nation and termed the PTI authorities “the blackest part” for press freedom within the nation’s historical past, in response to the Daybreak report.