Daily Times

The emerging trend of targeting state institutions and dragging those into political rivalries is totally uncalled for as armed forces have nothing to do with any political process in the country, a senior security official said on Sunday.

The comments came days after Pakistan-Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif hurled baseless allegation against military leadership at a PDM rally in Gujranwala.

“A convicted proclaimed offender while illegally sitting in London is commenting on armed forces of Pakistan which are guarantor of peace and stability in the country and who have laid down thousands of lives in defending the motherland,” he wondered. “Even at the time when Nawaz Sharif was using derogatory language against Pakistan Army in Gujranwala, funeral prayers of 20 of its valiant soldiers were being offered, who had embraced martyrdom in separate incidents of terrorism in Balochistan and KP,” he maintained, adding that army officials right from lieutenant general, brigadier and even head of intelligence agencies to soldiers have faced bullets and laid lives in war against terrorism during the last 20 years. He paid rich tribute to the security forces for rendering their lives for the protection of the homeland and said that the entire nation is standing with the armed forces and salutes them.

Criticizing the insulting narrative about the army, the official warned that the PML-N leadership must not indulge in dangerous games of the behest of the enemies of the country as their agenda is doomed to fail. He said the PML-N is trying to create divisions and clash between higher ranked and lower ranked officials of Pakistan Army as well as between different state institutions, which is in total conformity with the Narendra Modi’s agenda. He said anti-state elements and enemies of Pakistan are targeting the law enforcement agencies through bullets while the PML-N is doing the same job through derogatory language and baseless allegations.

The official said that the opposition has the right to protest in a democracy but the nefarious agenda of maligning the national institutions cannot be tolerated at any cost. He said the politicians hatching conspiracy against the armed forces of Pakistan cannot be the well-wishers of the country, adding that the 220 million Pakistanis stand by their armed forces. “Nawaz Sharif’s attack on military leadership is in fact attack on the Pakistan Army. This is the same thing Narendra Modi is talking about,” he said. “Indian newspapers are praising Nawaz Sharif and giving extraordinary coverage to his anti-army statements. PML-N’s agenda is gradually coming before the masses. Nawaz Sharif is playing in the hands of the enemies of Pakistan,” he lamented.