LAHORE, Oct 27(ABC): PTI said Thursday that criticising the armed forces is the constitutional right of Imran Khan after the army’s top officials called out the ex-prime minister.
The comments came as PTI’s top leadership — Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Secretary-General Asad Umar, and Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry — addressed a joint press conference.
“You can argue with Imran Khan’s criticism, but whatever he says is for the army and the country’s betterment. It is his constitutional right to criticise the army,” Umar told journalists.
Umar said that a major chunk of Director-General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum and Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Lieutenant-General Babar Iftikhar’s presser focused on PTI.
The PTI leader said Khan has time and again expressed his views on the armed forces’ role — “he believes that a strong army is crucial for Pakistan, given its strategical position”.
Umar said the PTI chairman owns the armed forces and the nation and he has “never” maligned the armed forces abroad — whether in the United Kingdom or the United States.
“But Imran Khan [does not] agree to every decision of the armed forces. Are there some decisions or actions [of the armed forces] that he criticises? Yes, he definitely does that.”
Umar said the Constitution empowers the PTI chief to criticise the military. “But all that criticism, in Khan’s eyes, is directed towards the betterment of the country and the military.”
Umar said Khan has never uttered a word to weaken the institution.
“[In their press conference, the military officials] said that levelling allegations against the institution’s leadership was inappropriate […] but I would like to ask that if the leadership of the armed forces has its importance, then doesn’t the reputation of country’s biggest leader matter?”
The PTI leader said that it was indeed important for both sides to rethink their positions.
Vawda’s presser aimed at frightening people: Qureshi
Earlier, at the outset of the presser, PTI Vice President Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that on May 25, the party’s rally was “attacked” by the then-Punjab government.
“We could not defend ourselves. The way our people were tortured and put behind bars is in front of everyone,” the former foreign minister said.
Qureshi assured the journalists that the PTI’s long march would remain peaceful and the party would march towards Islamabad in line with the Constitution.
In response to PTI leader Faisal Vawda’s press conference, Qureshi said that it was aimed at creating a sense of fear among the masses as people were “enthusiastic” for the long march.